Primeval Retold
by InaraXavier
Summary: Follows the life of Cole Cutter, Nick and Helens daughter. Cole has to deal with daily teenage stuff as well as the new Anomaly discovery. Things are going good until Cole get Kidnapped and as she's recovering Helen is brought back causing problems for everyone. Helen asks Cole something that changes her life and everyone around her. Based around seasons one and two, plus own ideas
1. Chapter 1: Forest of Dean part 1

Cole's .

KNOCK

KNOCK

KNOCK

"Cole, get up or you'll be late for college" was what my dad shouted at me every morning through my door to wake me up. And everyday he would wait outside of my door until he heard movement and first thing on a Monday that was hard.

KNOCK

KNOCK

"COLE!"

"Alright, Dad I'm up, I'm up"

"Downstairs in 20 minutes". After he said that I heard him walk downstairs, that's when I pushed myself out of bed and opened my closet to choose what to wear or the day. When that was done I went into the bathroom to get a quick shower, brush my teeth and then I'd get dressed, do my hair and put the little bit of make up on that I do wear (Mascara and Eyeliner). My style was pretty consistent, I wear jeans, checkered shirts undone with a plain top underneath, beanie hats, scarfs, fingerless gloves, boots, leather jackets and combat style jackets. Yeah it's not everyone's cup of tea but I like it and I feel comfortable in them. I have my long blonde hair down and side parted, the only time I have my hair up is when I'm doing art or out running. When I'm done I go back into my bedroom and grab my bag but today it wasn't in my room. I grabbed my phone, headphones and went down stairs saying

"Dad have you seen my Bag?"

"You were working in the basement last night, try there".

So I did, I went down to the basement that Dad let me turn into a art studio. I got some of my friends to help me decorate the walls, and they are covered in graffiti and in the corner was my desk. On my desk through all the paper I saw my pencil case and sketchbook and on the floor next to it was my bag. I gathered up my things and went to rejoin my dad in the kitchen.

As I got upstairs I passed the front door and saw someone was standing there so I opened it and Stephen came in.

"Dad Stephens here"

"Morning Kid" was what he said as he closed the door behind him.

"Morning Stephen". We got into the kitchen and I placed my bag on the counter as Dad handed me a plate of pancakes.

"Found your bag then"

"I left it down there when I came up for bed. Oh and remind me that I seriously need to tidy up down there". I finished my pancakes and my Dad handed me ten pounds for lunch and then the door bell went off

"That must be The guys. I'll meet you at the university after college"

"Have a good day and don't forget your guitar". I picked my bag up and just as I got to the front door I picked up my guitar and personalized case. That's my morning routine Day in and Day out. We live in a small house but it's perfect for us. It's just me and my dad, that's the way we like it.

I opened the front door and Becca was stood there with two to go cups in her hand. She handed me one and said

"Strong Coffee, milk and one sugar"

"Becca you are a life saver". I took the cup and joined the others as we walked to college.

We all go to the Royal college of art and all Major in music so we are in the same class and today we have 3 hours of music and then I've got Maths and English with Jason and Amy. We got to college and went to our lockers so we could get a few books we needed for the day and then we went to sit in the canteen for a bit. That's when the bitchiest people in the school came in. They think that they are better than us because the are rich but in all fairness they are just a bunch of bitchy, lame ass celebrity wannabes that dress like sluts. There are 5 people in this group; Cordelia is the leader because she has the most money, Regina, Sabrina, Lexi and Stacey are just her mindless followers. To make things worse Stacey and I used to be best friends but then when we started upper school she changed and now she's just like the others. As they walked past us they gave me the dirtiest look ever and then Cordelia said "You know what, Cole I can see why Stacey ditched you. I mean look at you, you're just a weird, nerdy, person that hangs about with a bunch of losers"

"Don't you have anything better to do Cordelia. The day hasn't even started yet and I don't fancy regurgitating my breakfast because I looked at your face. I mean how much how much make do you need to wear and did you put it on using a paint roller". She didn't say anything else she just scoffed and walked off but as Stacey passed me I could see a hint of a smile on her face. That's when the bell went and we went to Music class. I like everyone in my class and thankfully there aren't many people in it so I'm comfortable singing around them and today we are preforming solos that we had to write over the holiday. Because my teacher knows that I have stage fright she always lets me go first to get it over and done with so I got my guitar out and began playing Problems

Hey baby even though I hate ya!

I wanna love ya

I want you!

And even though I can't forgive you

I really want ta

I want you!

Tell me, tell me baby

Why can't you leave me?

Cause even though I shouldn't want it

I gotta have it

I want you!

Head in the clouds

Got no weight on my shoulders

I should be wiser

And realize that I've got

One less problem without you!

I got!

One less problem without you!

I got one less, one less problem

I know you're never gonna wake up

I gotta give up

But it's you!

I know I shouldn't ever call back

Or let you come back

But I do

Every time you touch me

And say you love me

I get a little bit breathless

I shouldn't want it

But I do

Head in the clouds

Got no weight on my shoulders

I should be wiser

And realize that I've got

One less problem without you!

I got!

One less problem without you!

I got!

One less problem without you!

I got one less, one less problem

One less problem without you!

I got!

One less problem without you!

I got!

One less problem without you!

I got one less, one less problem

Smart money bettin'

I'll be better off without you

In no time

I'll be forgettin' all about you

You saying that you know

But I really really doubt you

Understand my life is easy

When I ain't around you

Iggy Iggy

To biggie to be here stressin'

I'm thinkin' I love the thought of you

More than I love your presence

And the best thing now

Is probably for you to exit

I let you go

Let you back

I finally learned my lesson!

No half-stepping

Either you want it or you just playin'

I'm listening to you knowin'

I can't believe what you're sayin'

There's a million you's baby boo

So don't be dumb

I got 99 problems

But you won't be one

Like what!

Head in the clouds

Got no weight on my shoulders

I should be wiser

And realize that I've got

One less problem without you!

I got

One less problem without you!

I got!

One less problem without you!

I got one less, one less problem

One less problem without you!

I got

One less problem without you!

I got!

One less problem without you!

I got one less, one less problem

Soon class ended but as I was leaving my teacher asked to speak to me

"Cole I know that you don't like performing in front of big crowds but as you know the Prom is in a few my and if you get over your stage fright you are welcome to perform there. You will get paid for it of course, just think about it". And I did through out the rest if the day. They day soon ended and I walked over to the university and to my Dads office. I got there and him, Stephen a someone else was there.

"Hey Dad"

"Hey Cole, this is Connor Temple my student. Connor this is my daughter Cole".

"Hey"

"Hey". I then went to the corner and began sketching some random stuff as I listened to Connor.

"Actually that's my dissertation, yeah. See I argued that all life on Earth derived from organisms carried here by alien spacecraft. It's pretty sexy stuff." I heard something being thrown in the bin then Connor saying

"It's a work in progress, really". Dad then said

"Tell me what this is" I looked up to see what he was on about.

"A fish?"

"Obviously. It's a sarcopterygisn. There's no trace of them in the fossil record for 70 million years, and then suddenly one of the just pops up in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Totally inexplicable in the modern evolutionary terms. See, Darwin provides most of the answers. It's the pieces that don't fit that interest me"

"See, that's why I was wondering whether you'd seen this". He then pulled a newspaper out of his satchel. I got up and stood next to Dad as he read the paper and Connor continued speaking

"Some sort of Giant, undiscovered predator" the title read 'MONSTER HOAX' dad just passed the paper to me

"Oh, no, no, no,no ,no. This... this is the real thing"

"Connor, you should get out to a bar, meet a nice girl. Life will seem a lot less confusing"

"I've already got a girlfriend. Sort of. That's not really the point. There's an eyewitness, claimed to have seen it"

"People claim to have seem the Loch Ness Monster. It doesn't mean to say it's there"

"Not now, obviously, because it died out years ago. The government, they took the body away and they covered the whole thing up"

"This is just a hoax. Forget it"

"Your wife wouldn't have ignored it". That made all of us stop what we were doing and look at Connor. Dad made eye contact with me and there was a moment of silence, which dad soon broke

"My wife was a serious scientists. She wasn't some gullible monster hunter"

"Sorry"

"It's okay".

"I just thought you might want to check it out, that's not as though the Forest of Dean is far away, though"

"The Forest of Dean?". Dad looked at Stephen and he said

"If we leave now we could be there by 4". So we packed up and drove down to the forest.


	2. Chapter 2: Forest of Dean part 2

Abby Maitland's P.O.V.

I'm currently sat in the reptile house with the two new comers who are meant to be mating.

"Come on, guys, what are you waiting for? Soft lighting and a Frank Sinatra record?"

My boss then came up to the window, knocked on the glass and said

"How are Brad and Angelina?"

"Oh, totally gay, but otherwise fine"

"They should be mating by now"

"Maybe they just don't fancy each other"

"Abby, a word". I left the enclosure to talk to him.

"Abby, I'm sorry. The sponsor's pulled out and I have to slim down the reptile program"

"And my job comes under the heading of instant weight loss, right?". I then walked off with him behind me saying

"There's an attachment going at the bug house. I could put in a word for you"

"I'm a lizard girl, Tim. You know that". His phone then rang and he dropped all the papers.

"Sorry"

"Oh"

I picked the papers up and saw a picture of a boy carrying a exotic lizard

"Hello Tim Parker. Uh, well, I'll call you back, Okay? Okay, bye" he put his phone away and took the papers form me.

"Letters. From people wanting the zoo to collect their animals. Why do people buy exotic pets if they don't want them?"

I looked over the letter and pictures

"Everything all right?"

"I'll handle this one if you like. It's my field. I know the Forest of Dean pretty well. Anyway so about this attachment..."

"Yes. Uh, a six month project studying the lifecycle of parasites in elephant dung"

"Sounds unmissable"

Stephen's P.O.V.

Eventually we got to the forest and drove to where the eye witness was.

"I'd just finished my rounds when I caught a glimpse of it on the monitor" he lead us to a big truck that was destroyed. Cole then said

"Can you imagine how much force it took to rip this thing open?. Look at the size of the marks" then Connor said

"You know if you want my opinion, I think it's...(Nick giving him a look). You don't, do you?" I then said

"Well, if I found these gouges in the wild, I'd be certain we'd be looking for a large predator" Nick then said

"But we're in the Forest of Dean" then the witness said

"It was huge and it was so fast. It was gone across the yard in a second"

"Well there's blood". Nick and Cole then walked somewhere and Nick said

"Stephen, come and give me a logical explanation for this"

"It's a hoax, obviously". I walked to join then and they were stood in front of a completely annihilated gate.

"It's just a difficult one to pull off." Connor then said

"Can I y something?". Nick walked off once again and Connor asked me

"Is he all right?"

"Helen Cutter came to this area eight years ago to investigate a creature sighting. She disappeared in the forest. The body was never found. Just a rucksack. No blood, clues, nothing. She just vanished"

Abby Maitland's P.O.V.

I drove to that boys house by the forest and was met by his mother.

"We never expected a personal call"

"All Part of the zoo service, Mrs Trent"

"It's only a lizard". She took me into the house and up to her sons bedroom that was full of dinosaur toys.

""I see you like dinosaurs, Ben"

"Yeah. They're awesome". That's when I heard a lizard chirping sound. I looked on the top bunk and saw the lizard say there minding it's own business.

"His name's Rex. I found him in the forest. Looked him up in a book and it said he was a flying dragon from Southeast Asia"

"Draco Volans. He's not a Draco Volans"

"No?". He then jumped from surface to surface.

"In fact, I don't know what he is"

"I thought you were an expert"

"I I'm right, you've discovered a completely unique species"

"Oh cool"

"I need you to show me exactly where you found him". So that's what he did. We wrapped Rex up and went into the forest.

"It's too cold for him here. He must have escaped from a private zoo or something."

"I found him around here somewhere. This way" Ben walked a head of me slightly and then he saw something.

"Abby" he got my attention and saw a dead cow up a tree. We then heard a terrible roar and began freaking out so we ran.

"Slow down, Wait for me"

"Maybe it was a leopard. They sometimes drag their prey up into tress and come back for it later"

"Don't be silly Ben. How many leopards are there in the Forest of Dean?"

"I don't care. It's weird. I'm getting out of here"

"Ben, hold on. Wait for me!" But it was too late he was gone.

Nicks P.O.V

After seeing that fence we all decided to go for a look around but first I needed a drink so I went to the nearest bar. In the bar there was soft music playing from the piano and a lot of chatter.

"Excuse me" I turned and someone kissed me.

"Don't panic. I just that slime ball over there you were my boyfriend. One more sleazy chat up line and I was going to have to kill him"

"Well, I'm very glad I was here to help. Um, I'm Nick Cutter"

"Actually I know who you are. Claudia Brown, Home office. I saw you at the hotel. I'm hoping you can do me a favor, professor"

"Another one?". She went into her bag and pulled out a newspaper clipping of the monster hoax.

"I suspect this is why we are both here. We get dozens of rogue animals sightings each year. You'd be doing me a great favor if you could just confirm that this is all nonsense"

"I can't dismiss the evidence out of hand"

"Surely you're not giving this whole monster story any credibility, Professor?"

"I'm just trying to keep an open mind"

"People always say that as though it's such a good thing"

"Well, you see, that depends on how you define 'monster'. A wild panther might look pretty terrifying on a dark night"

"Is that what we're dealing with?"

"My best guess. If it exists at all. The last sighting was somewhere near the forest. Would you care to join the search?"

"I suppose I owe it to the taxpayer to do more than sit in my room and suck the minibar dry".

Cole's P.O.V.

Whilst dad was in side having a drink Connor was showing us something he had been working on for a long time

"This database contains constantly updated information on all non-extinct vertebrates. I've been building it every spare second since I was 14"

Stephen then said "It's impressive"

"It's pretty cool, Huh?"

I then said "And slightly sad".

"You know we're not talking about a wildcat,don't you"

That's when dad came walking down the path with a woman.

"This is Claudia Brown from the home office. She'll be coming with us". Connor then said in my ear

"I know it. It's a cover up"

"What's he talking about"

"Connor never met a conspiracy theory he didn't like" so we all packed into the car and drove further into the forest.

Abby's P.O.V.

"Ben slow down". At this point Ben was well in front off me but could still hear me shouting

"Ben!". I continued running but tripped and let go of Rex. He then flew through the air and it was beautiful. I watched in amazement as he came to a gentle amusing by a body a water.

"Rex". I went up to him and tried to convince him to come towards me.

"Not now, Rex. Please come back. Oh Rex for goodness sake"

Bens P.O.V.

As I was running I heard chirps just like Rex's and then saw a golden light in the middle of the forest. I walked towards it slowly to get a better look. I stuck my head through it and I was looking at a distant past. Reptiles like Rex where flying about and dinosaurs were walking about, it was amazing. I pulled my head back out and heard another roar and began running again

"Abby!"

Abby's P.O.V

I went in between some branches to get to Rex.

"Rex come here. Stop messing around" he began chirping more and then he began cowering in fear of something, that's when I heard loud pounding footsteps. I glanced out over the water and saw a reflection of something terrifying. It had to giant front teeth that looked like tusks and a long noses. It then moved on as quickly as it came.

Nicks P.O.V.

As we walking through the forest, Stephen and Cole were at the front of the convoy, Connor was in the middle and Claudia and I were bringing up the rear. After a while Claudia said "If there really were some creature around here, wouldn't the journalists have found it by now?"

"They wouldn't know what they were looking for"

"But you do"

"Hmm. I've seen Stephen track wounded animals through the rainforest for up to 10 days at a time". Connor then said

"Not to mention wrestle and anaconda and save a whale"

"Maybe there is something here and maybe there isn't. Frankly, I doubt it"

"Dad!". We joined Cole and Stephen by a tree looking up at something. A dead cow was up it resting on some branches.

"Okay, now I'm getting interested"


	3. Chapter 3: Forest of Dean part 3

Bens P.O.V.

After I heard that roar I ran all the way home and as I jumped over the gate I caught my finger on something but shock it off and went back home. When I got there I went straight up to my room, locked the door and flopped down onto my bean bag by the window. That's when I looked at my finger, it was bleeding slightly but I will survive. But then I heard a low growl, saw breath on my window and that's when I saw this beast thing. It came right up against my window and then all hell broke loose. It smashed through the window and was trying to get at me. I was grabbing everything I possibly could and was throwing it at the creature. After throwing my plasma globe at it it went away. I went to the window to make sure and then I heard my mum shouts

"Ben, what on earth is going on in there?"

Abby's P.O.V.

I've been running for ages with Rex in my arms and have officially come to the conclusion that I'm lost.

"Okay, Rex, which way now?". Then from behind me I heard a low growl i slowly turned around and saw a huge animal / creature, not the same one as earlier but still creepy. It turned to me and I slowly back up to the tree making me drop Rex.

"Rex"

"Don't move"said a Scottish male voice, I glanced over my shoulder and same three guys and two girls standing there with torches. The older women then said "is it real?" Then the Scottish guys said

"Some kind of experiment, Maybe. Hybrid, throwback. Who are you?"

"Abby Maitland. I'm a keeper at Wellington zoo". He then went back to speaking

"It's a reptile. Five or six tones, at least. Large supratemporal bosses. Huge osteoderms on its must be some kind of anapsid"

"A tortoise" he they growled and they all moved back slightly.

"Stay in his field of vision. You're making him nervous". The guy with the long black hair then said

"I was right. It was a dinosaur I'm that warehouse" he snapped a picture but his phone was soon taken off him.

"Whatever it is it's classified until I found out what the hell to do about it"

Cole's P.O.V.

I found it funny when Connor got his phone taken away but then me, dad and Stephen saw another one so we crouched down and got a closer look at this little lizard.

"Bloody hell. There's two of them"

"Where did that come from?"

"This is fantastic" Claudia then went off to make a phone call while abby,me and dad went to some kids house that was completely ruined by something big, Stephen and Connor stayed with the dinosaur.

Let's just say the kids mum wasn't very happy with Abby

"I'll be making a complaint. She's filled his head with all sorts of stupid ideas. Just look at the state of his room!"

"It was the dinosaur" dad then spoke

"The simple truth is that Miss Maitland got carried away, Ben's pet was nothing more exotic than Draco Volans, it's a Southeast Asian flying lizard"

"There was a monsters, though. It chased us, tell them Abby"

"I don't know what really happened, Ben. We just got frightened. That's all"

"But I saw the past. Prehistoric times. I was there" I asked

"You saw the past?"

"There was desert and rocks and things" he then left the room in a huff. And his mum said "I blame the Telly. Excuse me".

We soon left and when we got outside Claudia said

"I knew you feel bad about lying, but I'd word of this gets out, who knows what the consequences might be. You're all going to have to sign the Official Secrets Act". I then said

"Whoa, since when did this become an official secret?"

"about ten minutes after I finally persuaded my boss not to have me sectioned." Dad then said

"Yeah, well, right now we have anfar more urgent problem. That creature we saw may be many things, but it's certainly no a ruthless predator that drags its pray up I not trees"

"Well you can be sure of that"

"He can. It a herbivore. Pure veggie"

"You mean there's another one out there?"

"What did Ben mean when he talked about seeing the past? These animals have to be coming from somewhere"

"What are you saying"

"I'm saying that the answer is in that forest and maybe Ben found it"

Stephen's P.O.V.

Connor and I were left to watch over the dinosaur whilst the

others were with some kid. I am leant up against some tree and Connor was pacing going on about some rubbish

"You know this is going to win me the Nobel Prize"

"You don't know what we're dealing with yet"

"Come on. It looks like a dinosaur and behaves like a dinosaur. It's a dinosaur. It's a missing link to the ancient past. And I discovered it" that's when they others came bounding up the path and Cole shouted

"STEPHEN"

"Whoa, where's it going?"

"Let him go! It's scared. Let's see where it thinks it's safe". We followed it all the way back through the forest until we got to a golden thing. The creature kept going all the way through and then it was gone. Claudia then said

"Where's it gone". Nick just simple said

"Home".

The next morning

By morning there were shoulders and government officials here. Nick and Connor were hovering around the golden thing, Cole was sat with Abby and I was making sure that they were alright. But as I was gong over there Connor noticed that his pen was getting pulled towards the thing

"My pen. That explains the compass going crazy"

"What could cause a magnetic field so powerful?"

"Maybe it's an alien spaceship". When Connor said that I continued over to the girls with some coffee for them.

"How you feeling?" I said that to Abby because I know what Cole will be feeling, she loves these mysterious things and by tomorrow would have drawn this golden object as a survivor.

"Confused, frightened. Exhilarated"

"Snap". We then looked over at Rex in a change and as he was being taken away Abby said

"You don't think they'll hurt him"

"Of course not".

I left her and went back over to Nick with Cole and he was trying to explain all on this to Claudia

"Everything we've seen about the animals so far is consistent with vertebrates that last appeared in the fossil record hundreds of millions of years ago"

"You mean they're like creatures form the past"

"No I mean they are creatures from the past"

"Cutter we have to go now"

"You've got your own experts?"

"They didn't see what we saw and they don't know what you know". She walked off and the three of us just looked at the thing. After a while I said

"You're thinking about Helen. Aren't you?"

"It explains everything" then Cole said and you could tell she was annoyed

"Except why she didn't come back".

Claudia P.O.V.

After a while me, Nick, Cole and Abby went to the home office to sign some stuff and we left Stephen and Connor to look for the other creature. After a while a man was standing next to me. I didn't know who he was so I introduced myself

"Claudia Brown, Home Office"

"Yes. I've seen your file. James Lester. I'll be in charge of coordinating our response. You shouldn't have brought them here. They have no security clearance. I don't like civilians in these situations"

"How many situations like this have you had?"

"How do we know they're not responsible for all this in some way?"

"That's not possible"

"You spend your entire career planning for just about every crisis imaginable, up to and including alien invasion then this happens. So much for thinking outside the bloody box"

Stephen's P.O.V.

Back in the forest me and Connor, well mainly me, were tracking something big. I was in front of Connor and he was behind rambling about his allergies.

"Something large has been through here recently"

"I'm not, um, really outdoorsy. I've got sinus issues and allergies. I'll right you a list". I put myth her in my lips and turned to him telling him to be quite

"We can't rely on the army to find this creature. So just keep looking. It's so close I can sense it"

"Shouldn't we just wait for the Professor?"

Nicks P.O.V.

After we signed the secrets act we met James Lester and he began asking all these questions as we walked through the building to see Rex

"This phenomenon, Professor, Claudia tells me you have an explanation"

"A theory. The boy's experience proves that there's a concrete landscape on the other side of the anomaly. And I think it's the earth many millions of years ago"

"And this anomaly, as you call it. Is a door between time zones in the world's history?"

"Hmm"

"Suppose this remarkable theory's correct. What are the immediate risks?"

"Famine, war, pestilence. The end of the world as we know it. You know the usual stuff"

"I think I could do without the facetiousness"

"I could do without standing in some anaemic office in Whitehall taking to a civil service pen pusher,when I should be exploring the most significant phenomenon in the history of science" I heard Cole snigger form my side as James said

"Technically, I'm not actually a civil servant. More a troubleshooter without portfolio in the PM's office". Cole then said

"You mean you're a government hatchet man"

"Colorful, but surprisingly accurate". I then said

"And there's something else you should know. I intend to find out what happened to ,y wife, whatever the risks, so I'm going through the anomaly, and if you want to stop me, then you're going to have to shoot me"

"I hope it won't come to that"

Stephen's P.O.V.

We've been tracking something big for a while now and Connor is still moaning about his allergies.

"So what do you think of Abby?"

"She's okay, why?"

"I was picking up some heat between us. You get an instinct for these kind of things"

"I thought you had a girlfriend"

"She's more of a pen pal really. She, um,. She lives in The Gambia"

"That's practical for a night out"

"Yeah. So do you think Abby likes me?"

"Why don't you ask her yourself?"

"All right. I might. It's not everyday you meet a potential girlfriend. And find a dinosaur". I saw something up ahead so I got a better look at it leaving Connor rambling to himself.

"Stephen?. Stephen!"

Coles P.O.V.

Right now we are watching a bunch of scientists do experiments on Rex. Rex was getting angry and Abby was contradicting everything they were doing.

"You really shouldn't handle a lizard like that"

"Let the experts do their job" was what James shoot back

"They don't know what they're doing. You really shouldn't mess with an angry lizard"

"I'm terrified"

"Do they even know the can fly?"

"Fly?". And just like that Rex was flying around the lab and stupidly one of the scientists opened the door and Abby and Claudia ran after him to try and catch him.

"He can fly"

"Mmm, pretty well"

After dad said that James took us back to the offices to wait for the girls. And then Rex came flying through the offices scaring everyone. Seconds later the girls followed and we all went to this little office where Rex was by an open window.

"Rex. Don't do it, Rex. It's not your world out there any more" Abby pulled something out of her pocket as she was slowly approaching Rex and said "Try some of this. You'll love it. I promise" but he took off out of the window.

"Rex, come back!" Just when we thought he was gone he came back through the window and into Abby's arms. "Good decision Rex" Abby looked at James smugly and as he was leaving I pointed something out "oh, Those risks you were talking about. There's one I didn't tell you about running down your back" Rex had done a poo on him as he flew past. He huffed and left the room.

"It's so perfect"

Stephen's P.O.V.

We continued to look for the creature and eventually Connor caught up with me. But then I saw a big footprint.

"What's this"

"I think the scientific term is really bad news". So Connor found a log and began looking for a match through that Dino database of his.

Nicks p.o.v

A little while after we got Rex back James took my into his offie and said

"The lizards DNA confirms your theory. The creatures a living fossil. Under the circumstances I'm going to allow your exploratory mission into the anomaly"

"I'm taking the Lizard back. Creatures that don't belong here should be returned to their natural habitat" he handed me something and said

"It's a disclaimer. We don't want any nasty lawsuits if you don't come back"

Stephen's P.O.V.

After some time Connor found what we were Looking for

"Ok my best guess. The creature we found was some kind of scutosaurus, late Permian era. That footprint, definitely not the same animal. If we are talking Permian, then this little charmer is the prime suspect. It's a Gorgonopsid. It's a compact killing machine and it's got incredible power. Stephen, if it is still out there, then you have to find it. Fast"

"What about you?"

"You, mighty hunter. Me, I'm more logistics and, you know, backup"

I left Connor by the tree and went further into the forest following the fresh footprints and broken branches. That's when I heard the growl

Ben's P.O.V.

Great first my room gets trashed and now I'm in detention fro not completing my homework. As I'm staring out of the window my teachers says

"The sooner you finish your detention, Ben, the sooner we can both go home". That's when i saw it, the dinosaur that attack me at me house.

"Miss. Miss, there's dinosaur I'm the playground". She looked but it moved away

"Really, Ben, How old are you now?"

"No, we've got to get out"

"Ben, sit down now."

"There's a dinosaur!. Miss, come on!"

"Ben, sit down. Settle down"

That's when we heard the smashing of something. We both looked at the door and my teacher walked towards it.

"Don't open the door" she ignored me and went towards it anyway

"Don't open it". She opened the door and low and behold the dinosaur was there she screamed and we began barricading the door with tables so it couldn't get in.

Stephen's P.O.V.

I tracked the Gorgonopsid to a school and when I got in there I heard screams. I followed them and saw the Gorgonopsid trying to get into a classroom so I picked up a chair and throw it. It turned to me and I said

"Pick on someone your own size". I then ran knocking everything over to black the path. My plan worked it was following me. It walked over the fallen cabinets like then were nothing as I kept coming after me. As I was running down a flight of stairs it flipped a metal cupboard over the railings and it landed in front of me. I jumped over it and continued running until I got to some fire doors. I trie opening them but they wouldn't budge. That's when the Gorgonopsid came around the corner. I grabbed a fire extinguisher off the wall and fired it at the creature but that only ticked it off. It charged me and through me out of the fire doors, I hit my head and the last thing I remember was hearing the creature roar, then blackness.


	4. Chapter 4: Forest of Dean part 4

Coles P.O.V.

Currently wears back at the anomaly site getting ready for the mission and trying to get a hold of Stephen. Dads being checked over by one of the on site doctors and Connor is calling Stephen

"Will you call Stephen again?"

"He's not answering"

"Stephen wouldn't miss this". Claudia then came over and said "it's 18:55 I want you back no later then 20:00 hours. If the first contact works out, we'll take it from there" some soldier guy came over and dad asked

"What's he doing here?"

"This is Captain Ryan. He's a Gulf war veteran with extensive desert experience. We don't know how dangerous it'll be on the other side of the anomaly. No arguments, Cutter. He goes as well". Dad looked at me and said

"Can I have a second in private with Cole" everyone left leaving me and Dad to talk.

"You've been in a mood ever since we found the anomaly, why"

"I haven't been in a mood". He gave me a look and I said

"Okay so I've been in a mood. But can you blame me I found out today that my mother might have gone through the anomaly and left us"

"I know. But this could change everything for us. Don't you want to find out what happened to her"

"Of course I do, I just don't want to lose you in the process". He hugged me for reassurance and said "I'll be fine. I've got action man to protect me"

"Just be careful, please". We pulled out of the hug and Abby came over and gave Rex to dad

"Please take care of him. Look after yourself too"

"Yeah. We'll be fine". As dad was talking to Abby I over heard Claudia say to Ryan "whatever happens, bring him back". I said one last goodbye to my dad and they went into the unknown.

After he was gone Connor got something from his pocket and dropped his pen in the process but it wasn't taken by the anomaly.

"My pen. The magnetic field didn't take it. The anomaly's getting weaker".

Nicks P.O.V.

When we emerged from the anomaly my breath was taken away by the landscape. It was so beautiful, peaceful and serene. I let Rex go and he flew straight up to join the other creatures like him.

"Give me an hour. Give me one hour on my own" Ryan was hesitant but then I said "I've got a radio" and I left Ryan to look around.

An hour later

I got to the highest point on the mountain and shouted "HELEN!" I hope she's here. Then I heard Ryan's voice

"Professor! Professor! Over here". I ran over to him to see what he wanted. When I got to him he was by a destroyed camp site.

"My god. People. Somebody's been here before us"

"Well whoever it was they didn't get far. Over here" he lead me over to skeleton remains. I examined the remain and then Ryan dug up a camera, he handed it to me and it had H.C on the back

"It's 'HC' it's Helen Cutter"

"Is it her?" Referring to the remains.

"No, it's a man"

"How did he die"

"I don't know, uh"

"It's time to go"

"Yeah I can't help that. I've got to look for my wife"

"We have to go"

"I'm staying"

"Sorry professor". He then clobbered me around the head and carried me back to the anomaly site.

By he time we got to the site I had regained consciousness and was stumbling besides him. When we stopped I punched him around the face and he punch me back. I fell and he said "don't do that again". We looked over at the anomaly and it was beginning to fade away.

"The anomaly. It's disappearing" I didn't move I stayed where I was.

"Quick. Do you want to be trapped here forever?"

"I'm staying here to look for my wife"

"I'm not leaving you behind"

"Well, what do you want to do? Shoot me?"

He came back over and said "all right. You stay, I stay"

"That's... that's just childish"

"If you stay what will happen to Cole. Think of her, she can't loose both her parents to an anomaly"

"Oh, God. All right". We got up and ran to the anomaly.

Coles P.O.V.

"It's 20:00 hours they should be back by now". Just as Claudia said that low and behold they came back through.

"Cutter?"

"Look!"

"Dad"

"They're back". He sat up and hugged me tightly. I looked over his shoulder and saw that the anomaly had closed. I helped him up and said "What was it like". Then all hell broke loose.

The Gorgonopsid charged the camp and the soldiers were shouting at it.

"Run!". We all split up and ran. But from what I could see Claudia tripped and dad went back to get her.

"Cutter!"

"Claudia". As he was helping her up the creature faced them and just before it was about to charge we heard a car horn.

It was Stephen. He drove straight past me and into the creature. When the creature was down he got out of the car and I went and stood next to him.

"Nice driving"

"Thanks"

"Where the hell have you been?"

But before he could answer the creature opened it eyes and got back up. Stephen pulled me behind him and dad shouted

"Stephen. Catch!" He threw him a machine gun and he shot the creature down permanently this time.

At the home office

In the morning dad told me he found Mums camera and the film was being developed so we went to the home office and met up with James

"We developed the film in the camera you brought back". He brought an image up on screen and dad said "it's her. It's Helen".

"I'm sorry for your personal loss. Professor. This camp that you discovered. There was no clues as to who made it or what it was for?"

"No"

"The thought that someone's been there before us is far from reassuring. And I used to think the Eu Common Agricultural policy was far-fetched. Still at least the immediate crisis is over". I then stood up and stated

"Some force out there ripped the boundaries of space and time to shreds"

Dad then followed after "Maybe it's happened before. In which case, every single thing we thought we knew about the universe is wrong. Or this is the first time, in which case, what changed? What happens next? Believe us, it's very, very far from over". We then marched out of the room and met up with Abby, Connor and Stephen. We then all proceeded out of the building.

Later that night

When we were finished at the home office me and dad went home for a few hours. Whilst we were at home I had to ring college and tell them that i got food poisoning and won't be in for a few days. After we got cleaned up and changed we went to the university to finish off some work. Well I was, dad was a kinda just staring off into space

"Come on. Let's get some coffee".

We both got up and went through to the staff kitchen. When we came out something was on dads desk. We out our mugs down and saw that it was a fossil, but it was alive. Then we heard running.

We chased the person all the way out side and when we got to the barriers I saw someone, I saw mum. So did dad

"Helen! Helen!"

We went further up the catwalk but she had gone into the darkness. We shared a look and just stood there shocked from what just happened.


	5. Chapter 5: Big Bugs part 1

No ones P.O.V.

It's a Saturday and as usual the subway is packed. It doesn't help that's it's one of the hottest days for a while. So when a train stops because of signaling problems a young women gets up from her seat and goes stands by the carriage door. She opens the window and continues reading her book. As she's reading her book she feels something tickle her neck, at first she just brushes it off but when it comes back she turns around and sees a gigantic spider. She slams the window shut and in the process cuts of one of its legs, it lands on the ground and her screams echo throughout the carriages.

Connors P.O.V.

"They're called anomalies but I can't say anymore. Official Secrets Act". Was what I said to my friends, Tom and Duncan when I saw them the day after the Forest of Dean thing.

"But I will tell you this. I've seen a Gorgonopsid. Face-to-face and trust me, it's not pretty"

"Just how stupid do you think we are,Con" was what Tom said to me.

"But it's all true. All right. I swear on my empire strikes back first edition poster signed by Luke Skywalker and Dave Prowse"

"Ooh,careful. That's invoking a sacred relic"

"Yeah like the bible"

"Yeah. I now what a sacred relic is, Duncan. I have seen Raiders of the Lost Ark"

"Space time anomalies and dinosaurs. Sounds like someone's been overdoing it in the PlayStation"

"I can prove it. Only I'm not allowed to"

"Right"

"You now one day you're going to be gutter you didn't believe me"

Cole's P.O.V. (Nicks speech, Stephen speech, Coles speech)

Even though it's a Saturday Dad dragged me and Stephen to the office to read over some of Mums work.

"Dad there's 10 years of Mums work here"

"Keep looking"

"You've read every word she ever wrote"

"Yes but we didn't know about the anomaly then. There might be references to it in Helens work that we overlooked"

"If she knew about it, she'd have told you". Both me and Dad glanced at the photo of mum on his desk and were both thinking about what happened yesterday night.

"You two all right?"

"Late night"

"Haven't been sleeping very well"

We then went back to reading Mums work.

Connors P.O.V.

When I left Tom and Duncan I went to the Uni cafe and researched any possible anomaly sightings. When I found a possible, I printed the page off and decided to get Abby to help me, so I went to her apartment.

When I got there I heard music blasting and when I knocked on the door it went quiet

"Abby, open up! I think I found another anomaly"

Moments later she opened the door.

"Hi, wow!" I walked into her really cool apartment.

"Come in"

I looked around and said "this place is super cool. I mean, is it...Wow!. Is it me or is it just really hot in here" I faced her and realized that she was only in her underwear. She then remembered, turned around and went upstairs saying

"Um, I'll get changed"

"You should read this" I handed her the piece of paper with the potential sighting on it and she said

"Where did you get this?"

"Internet. One of the weird sightings forum. It looks to me like another anomaly. We should check it out"

"What does Cutter say?"

"I haven't actually told him yet. You know I could be wrong and I don't want him to think I'm an idiot"

"He already thinks you're an idiot"

"Thanks very much. Come on, think how impressed he'll be if I'm right".

"I still think you should tell him"

As Abby was coming down the stairs I heard chirping, like what Rex did.

"Rex?" I pulled a cover off one of the lizard cages and Rex was there minding his own business.

"Um, he came back"

"Kidnapping helpless lizards?"

"I didn't want Lesters people getting hold of him again"

"That explains why you're keeping the place so hot"

"You won't tell anyone?"

"No, I mean, you can rely on me. So how's about it? You in?"

"Um... maybe we should just let someone know"

"Come on. This is our chance to show him that we're useful. Come on, Abby. We're pals now, right? Right?"

"Mms-hmm"

"You never know, we could find a new little playmate for Rex. They could get together and talk about really old times".

No ones P.O.V.

Back in the subway an exterminator was casually doing his job muttering to himself. The he heard rattling sounds and turned to the source. He couldn't see anything so just shock it off and went back to work. Then a rat came out of its hiding place, the worker stood over it and went back to work. However the rat was soon eaten by one of the big spiders.

Claudia's P.O.V.

I'm currently at the home office talking to Lester

"The Forest of Dean is completely clear. I've left Ryan in charge of mopping up. There's been a lot of Internet chatted, but we've got natural disbelief on outside"

"Eyewitnesses?"

"The schoolteacher's in shock. I'm positive we can keep her away from the papers. And the boy will be no problem. Thank you" I said that last but as he opened a door for me.

"Pity the monster didn't eat them both. That would have been the neatest solution. Joke. What about the Cutters?"

"What about them?"

"I don't like anyone to whom the adjective 'maverick' might be applied. They virtually owns the copyright"

"They may be a little unconventional in their methods, but Nick is the closest thing we've got to an expert"

"You've taken to him, haven't you?"

"I trust him, if that's what you mean"

"Of course. What else?. Very well. Keep them on side the the time being. Id rather them inside the proverbial tent than out"

Connors P.O.V.

We got to the location and Abby said

"Maybe this wasn't such a great idea"

"You can hold my hand if you're frightened"

"And how is that going to make me feel better? I just don't think we should be doing this in our own."

"Stop worrying. If it's another Gorgonopsid, just run like hell"

"Shut up, Connor"

"I was just saying..."

No ones P.O.V.

Back in the tunnels the work man had stopped to eat his lunch. As he was going through his lack he dropped his Apple. He bent over to pick it up completely unaware that a giant insect was behind him. He sat back up, the insect ran off and he ate his Apple.

Nicks P.O.V.

I sent Cole and Stephen out for some lunch about an hour ago whilst I was still going through Helens work. As I'm reading something I took a bite out of my apple and heard someone say

"You didn't reply to any of my messages, so I came in person". It was Claudia. I cleared a chair for her and she sat down.

"You know, I've been going through Helens papers. Please. It was my fault that she disappeared"

"Why?"

"I was supposed to go with her in that last field trip but we had a row. Another row. She had become obsessed with theories that I found, well, ridiculous"

"You mean she was o to the anomaly?"

"No, not as such, but she'd became convinced that there was no conventional scientific answers to certain evolutionary puzzles. And, well, obviously she was right"

"Nobody could have guessed that"

"Yes, but she did"

"You're not to blame for her death, you know"

"What makes you so sure she's dead?"

"She was lost two hundred million years away in the past. What else could she be?"

Connors P.O.V.

We've been here about an hour and Abby just finished pitching up her tent.

"The tent's only big enough for one. You should have brought your own"

"I like sleeping out"

"Don't really look the type"

"I did the Duke of Edinburgh, you know. For a morning. Till I sprained me ankle"

"I'm freezing"

"We should huddle together for warmth. (Abby gives me a weird look). Or not"

After a couple of seconds in silence Abby asked

"Can I ask you a personal question?"

"Go ahead. Anything"

"Is Stephen seeing anybody?"

"Stephen?"

"Has he said anything about me?"

"Uh... no not that I can remember. No. Actually , I've never seen him with a woman. He might not like them. Could be gay"

"He's Gay?"

"Well, I never said he was. I just said he could be"

"But you don't know"

"Not conclusively. No". She then got up and went back to her tent without another word

"I'll keep first watch, then, shall I?" I leant up against a tree and settled down for a long night"

Nicks P.O.V.

"So tell me the plan" was the next thing I said to Claudia.

"What plan? What else can we do?"

"Well, we could start off by telling everyone the truth"

"Uh, no"

"Why?"

"Right now, this is just a rumor mill for internet conspiracy freaks. And we can contain that. The alternatives are panic, hysteria, potential lawlessness. Simply unviable"

"A cover-up. Connor will be thrilled"

"It's not a cover-up. Well, okay it is. But we have to do it...". Just then Stephen and Cole came into the room and Cole said

"Text from Abby. Connor thinks he's onto another anomaly. They've gone to investigate"

"Where are they?"

"New forest. She's not exactly sure where". We grabbed our coats and headed after hem before they get into anymore trouble.

Connors P.O.V.

It's getting late and whilst Abby is in her tent listening to rock music on the radio I'm walking around the lake trying to stay entertained. Soon it got dark and I fell asleep against a tree with my phone in my hand. That's when Abby woke me up saying

"Connor, wake up!"

"What?". She pointed at the bushes and we saw something moving around and growling.

"Oh, my god! Quick!" We got up and tried to run from it but didn't know where to go. It got closer and the growling more violent. That's when it fell over and we heard electrical whirring sound. That when Tom and Duncan came out of the tress and Tom said

"Careful it bites!"

"You idiots!". After that we heard police sirens and those two scampered off.

No ones P.O.V.

Back in the tunnels the worker was continuing with his work just minding his own business. And when he finished checking in a small hole he looked up and a giant spider attacked him, his screams echoed throughout the tunnels.

Nicks P.O.V.

We got to the forest where Abby and Connor were and there were police officers there. Cole and Stephen went to look at the robot dinosaur whilst Claudia and I were smoothing things over with the police. After some persuading they drop the charges and the one I was talking to said

"Take care and make sure it doesn't happen again". I then left him with Claudia and joined the others at the lake side.

"I know what you're going to say"

"We're sorry"

"The police aren't going to prosecute you for trespassing. Supposing it had been a predator. What were you going to do? Tame it? You knew exactly what was at stake, but you just couldn't keep your mouth shut"

"It's just so big. I had to tell somebody. I'm sorry. I am. I blew it"

"Go back to University. Get on with your work. I'll find you another supervisor"

"I'm just as much to blame as he is"

"Just as stupid maybe. But you didn't shout your mouth off and you've got skills I can use. You stay". After I said that I turned around and walked off with Stephen at my side. Cole stayed by Abby and Connor. I turned back around and said

"Cole, let's go". I watched as she out a reassuring hand on his arm and then joined us. As we got to the car Claudia informed us about a worker that had been attacked in the subway but his injuries weren't normal.


	6. Chapter 6: Big Bugs part 2

Nicks P.O.V.

We went to the hospital to check in with the worker. When we got their I left Cole and Stephen by the car and went inside with Claudia. We got to the ward and saw the worker was unconscious so we spoke to his doctor instead.

"This kind of thing doesn't normally interest the government". At this point Claudia was speaking to her

"We like to keep an eye on violent crime, Dr Lewis. Especially when there's unusual circumstances"

"Well, he was found Elroy this morning in the Underground. He'd being spraying the tunnels for vermin. Judging from the size of the wound, he'd been attacked with a knife or an axe, but it makes no sense"

"Why not?"

"It's not the wound the killing him, it's poison"

"Are you suggesting someone took an axe to him and then injected poison into the wound?"

"Venom, to be precise"

"As in snakes and insects?"

"We're running every test we can think of. But the truth is, we just don't know what we're dealing with"

"Did he say anything before he lost consciousness?"

"He was babbling about monsters". I went over and looked at the wound

"It's a single puncture mark, but it's not a knife and its. It an axe. It's more like a bite"

"From what?"

"Good question"

Back at the home office

After we were done at the hospital we went back to the home office to convince Lester to close the underground. But this time Cole and Stephen came with us.

"I can't close the underground on a wild hunch"

"Something injected a fatal dose of venom into his bloodstream"

"Could be a perfectly rational explanation"

"Oh, now that we'd love to hear"

"And how do you suggest I explain this to the Mayor? 'Excuse me sir, would you mind terribly throwing the whole bloody underground into chaos because we think there might be a fare-dodging creepy-crawly on the loose somewhere?". Cole then spoke up

"We're not talking about shutting down the whole system. Just the area where the attack took place. There's a whole network of disused tunnels down there"

"Yes very well". We then left his office and as we got to the stairs I asked Cole

"How did you know about the tunnels"

"I didn't fail all my classes and we learnt about it in history for some reason". We then proceeded to the cars and went to the subway station.

At first we weren't allowed down the tunnels so Ryan took some men to check it out.

"We should be down there with them"

"Special forces go in first. You didn't think Lester would let you have it all your own way"

"They don't even know what their looking for" Stephen then said

"Well, there can't be that many different types of venomous predator under the Aldwych"

"You should see the last tube home on a Friday night" was what Cole said as she was playing in her phone. Both me and Stephen looked at her and she said defensively

"We've got some time to kill. You can't blame me I'm still a teen". I then heard Stephen mutter under his breath

"Yeah and it's bugging me". I ignored what he said and joined Claudia leaving Cole and Stephen to do whatever.

Ryan's P.O.V.

I took my men down to the tunnels but before we entered I told them to put their might Vision goggles on. When they were all on we proceeded into the tunnels. We stopped when we got to a service door and proceeded inside. We got to a room but the only thing we could see were glowing eyes and the occasional spider run across the floor reacting to the light. I then looked up and shouted

"Above! Above!" The spiders then began dropping down and onto the backs of my men

"Get off!"

"What are they"

"They're everywhere"

"Hold your fire" but someone fired and the bullet ricocheted around the room.

"Withdraw!"

Cole's P.O.V.

When screams were heard over the radio I put my phone away and stood next to dad. Moments later the men came out of the subway and a couple of them had been bitten. Dad went over to Ryan and began asking him questions.

"They were like spiders, but with pincers, not fangs. Some over a meter long. Horrible, little..."

"Look, tell me how you feel"

"Sick. My ears are ringing..."

"Is there any blurred vision?"

"No. But there's something else. The gunshots were too bright like fireworks". I then said

"That's classic signs of excess oxygen in the atmosphere" Stephen then said

"A richer, more heavily oxygenated air must be seeping through from another anomaly" dad then said

"Well, we're not talking about the Permian era any longer. This is much, much earlier"

"How much earlier"

"Maybe the Carboniferous, about 300 million years ago. We really need to see what these creatures look like. Claudia I need to see this for myself"

"Okay, go". We walked away from her and when she was past eye shot dad said "Abby stay up here, you're are eyes and ears. Cole, Stephen let's get some gear". So we did. We got standard issued military black suits and combat boots. As I was tying my boots up Ryan came over and handed my dad a gun.

"Uh, no we need torches. The most powerful you can find"

"Take night-Vision goggles"

"Visions isn't the issue". Just as Stephen said that Claudia came over

"Well, the pest controller died a few minutes ago. They're running test on our casualties now" as she said that I came over and she said

"What's she doing?"

"Cole spent most of her childhood volunteering at zoos. She's got more practical experience than the rest of us put together"

"I don't care if she's Doctor Dolittle. Sorry, it's just too risky"

"I cam help. We just finished a study in insect behaviors". She then left and Dad went with Ryan to get torches. As I was pulling my hair back into a ponytail Stephen said

"Is that true?"

"Kind of. To tell you the truth, spiders aren't really my thing"

"Yeah, well, technically, these are probably scorpions"

"Thanks for that I feel better already". We then proceeded down To the tunnels after we got the torches.

We got down to the service door and dad said something

"On the floor". He shone his torch at it and it ran off.

"That's what I thought. They're sensitive to the light"

We continued down the floor slowly. Dad was in front, Stephen in the middle and I was at the back. I then looked up at the wall and saw a spider there, it took me by surprise and I jumped making dad and Stephen turn around. We watched as it ran off the wall and down the hall that when I said

"Has anyone got a really big slipper"

We the continued into the room.

"I don't like this" was what dad stated as we entered. I walked over to some wire mess and when I got there I found the anomaly

"Dad" they came over and all three of us stood in front of the anomaly.

"What's happening to us?". As I watched some of the spiders return home I stupidly dropped my torch. When I went to pick it up I saw something move behind some boxes and creates

"Guys". I heard them turn and Stephen was by my side in a second

"What it is"

"I don't know"

"It's not a spider". It then crashed through the crates separating me and Stephen from dad. We ran back through the fence and that's when Claudia's voice came over the comes

"Cutter, what's going on?" Dad answered

"There's another creature down here. But don't worry we're coming out". Stephen and I were looking around the room and then dad asked

"Stephen. Stephen can you see it?"

"No!". That's when we heard rattling coming from above. We looked up and saw the creature climbing on the wall. Stephen pushed me out of the way and grabbed something.

"Stephen!"

He swung it at the creature and it fell backwards. Dad then whistled and got its attention.

"Go"

"Nick!"

"Go, go. Get Cole out of here"

"Come on!"

"No!". Stephen had to drag me out of the room and we closed the door just as the creature attacked.

We got top side and Claudia was on the radio straight away

"Cutter? Come in" all we got was radio interference.

"All I'm getting is interference. Look. There's no other way out. This tunnels was blocked 30 years ago"

"Well, then why isn't he back yet?"

"Look, he's got to be trapped, okay? I'm going to go back in"

"No one goes anywhere until we know what we're dealing with"

"He could be injured.

"I don't want to leave him down there any more than you do, but I'm not losing anyone else in this wild goose chase" as Stephen and Claudia were talking my heart was racing and I couldn't stop pacing.

"We don't even know for sure where he is. Did you see what kind of creature it was?"

"It was so,e kind of centipede"

"But huge"

"Any more? Like preferred habitat, behavioral patterns, strengths, weaknesses?" I then Shouted

"We don't know. No one does!" Stephen stepped in before I ripped Claudia's head off.

"Connor might. He's like a walking encyclopedia of this stuff. He probably has giant bug fridge magnets"

"Okay. Okay. I'll get him here" she then walked off to talk to Ryan. Then Stephen said

"I can't leave him in there"

"And you think I want to. He's my Dad, Stephen. But you can't go down there without backup"

"Watch me". He then ran back into the subway.

"Stephen". God why am I always attracted to idiots.

Nicks P.O.V.

I managed to get into some abandoned tunnels away from the creature. When I was in them I head a woman whisper my name.

"Nick "

"Hello"

"Nick"

"Who's there" that's when I heard footsteps.

"Helen". I went after the person but couldn't find them at all.

Stephens P.O.V.

I went down into the tunnels and shouted

"Cutter?" I hoped for a reply but when I didn't get one I went rummaging through some things to look for a weapon. The o let thing I found was a flame thrower so I took that and went further into the tunnels in search of Nick.

I got to the room at the end of the hall and there was no sign of Nick or the centipede.

"Cutter!"

I went throw the wire mesh to the last place we saw Nick. I was walking towards another door and that's when the centipede showed its ugly face. I fired the flame thrower in its direction and it backed off.

"Cutter!"

However as I was looking for it I walked in front of the anomaly and because the flame throwers mental it got pulled in. That's when the centipede attacked.

"Oh,God" I ran but it was too fast. It got in front off my and bit me injecting its poison I to me.


	7. Chapter 7: Big Bugs part 3

Coles P.O.V.

Stephens been gone for 15 minutes now and I'm getting worried. I'm currently standing with Abby trying to get ahold of him

"Stephen. Where are you? Stephen?". Claudia came up to me and asked

"What's he done?". I gave her a look and she took my com away

"Stephen, where the hell are you?"

"He was trying to help"

"Well, he's done a really great job, hasn't he. Stephen, come in. Stephen? That's the problem with heroic gestures. Succeed, and you look wonderful. Fail, and all you do is leave everybody else with a bloody mess to clear up. Well done. Get down there". I then watched as Ryan gathered his men and made a break tunnels. That's when Abby shouted in relief

"Connor!"

Stephens P.O.V.

After I was bitten I collapsed and my breathing became faster and rapid and my vision blurred. After about 10 minutes lying to the floor I saw a torch light.

"Over here. Help me" they shined the torch straight in my face, I covered my eyes the best I could as I continued speaking

"Why don't you say something? Helen" Then darkness took over.

Nicks P.O.V.

After walking through the tunnels for a while I gathered up enough courage and went back to that room to see if I could get out. When I got there I saw Stephen lying on the floor breathing fast. I ran over to him and said

"What happened?"

"Argument with the bug. The bug won"

"Where is it now?". He didn't answer we so I stopped asking questions and said

"All right. Let's get you out of here"

"Hey. I don't have any feeling in my legs"

"Yeah, shock". I helped him up and handed him the torch. I put one of his arms around my shoulders and supported his weight. That's when he said

"There's something I have to tell you"

"Ah, you're not dying. It can wait"

"Helens alive!. She was here. She gave me a message"

"What's the message?"

"She's waiting on the other side of the anomaly. She said... she said if you want to know the truth you've got to come and find her". We then continued out of the tunnel but as we got to the main subway Stephen got worse and I was literally holding him up, up ahead we saw Ryan and his men so I shouted to get their attention

"Help, we need a medic!". They helped me with him and we managed to get him too side.

Coles P.O.V.

Connor got set up and began researching what the creature could be.

"Okay , Carboniferous, so it's probably a arthropleurid. That's a centipede on steroids basically. It's more or less blind. Good send of smell and touch. I mean. This things pretty big and scary-looking, but it's more or less timid. It's the kind of bug That'd stick to the kitchen at parties"

"This one must have a personality disorder. How dangerous is it?"

"According to this, it would have eaten dead wood and leaves"

"So it's not poisonous?"

"No way"

"Oh thank god".

"Medic, stretcher" when that was shouted I turned and saw dad helping carry Stephen. I ran over to help him. The stretcher came and we placed Stephen on it.

"He been bitten but the arthropleurid. Some wound, same symptoms as the pest controller. We need to do something before it destroys his central nervous system"

"Poison?"

."the spiders are off the hook it's the centipede that's the killer"

"Connor you said it wasn't poisonous"

"Look, I was only speculating"

"Tell them about Helen. She was there" dad and I shared a look as Claudia said

"What's he talk g about?"

"I don't know. He must be hallucinating"

"He seems fairly lucid to me."

We got to the ambulance and dad said to me "Cole stay with him. Call me when you get there"

"Ok. I'm glad you're safe"

He then left leaving me with Stephen who just began speaking

"You know, you look really beautiful"

"You're delirious"

"Have dinner with me"

"We'll talk about it when you're better"

"I can't wait that long"

"Of course I will. And I'll have coffee at your place later. I don't care if dad kills us"

"Good result. It's amazing how much easier this stuff is when you're dying"

"You're not dying!" My voice cracked at the end of that as the loaded him into the ambulance. I got in next to him and held his hand so he knew I was here.

"Stephen, look at me. Ok I'm not leaving you. Just stay with me". They closed the doors and we took off towards the hospital.

We got to the hospital and the first thing that the doctor said to me was "who did this to him?"

"Not who, what. It was a centipede"

"What kind of centipede?"

"It's hard to explain"

"If we don't find out exactly what bit him he will die"

"Okay. Tell me what you need to find a cure and I'll get you all the information I can"

"There are no obvious treatments.

People just don't die of centipede bites. But if we can get hold of a good sample of the venom, we might be able to find a anti- venom that matches it"

"Will that make him better?"

"Anti-venom are a last resort. Toxic in their own right. The survival rate can be as low as 50% but without it his chances are nil"

"Just keep him alive"

I stepped outside to call dad and tell him that we need the centipede.

"Cole, how is he?"

"Not good. But if we can get a sample of the venom they can try to match it with an anti venom" he had me on speaker because Claudia was next to speak to me.

"Can't we run some more tests and find a match for the venom somehow?"

"It would take too long. He's dying"

"No. The only way to shortcut the process is to collect a pair sample of venom from the creature that bit him"

"How the hell are you going to do that? Ask it to fill a specimen jar"

"I'm a way"

"Oh, come on"

"No, of the o to option. Ryan. Ryan are you there?" I then heard Ryan's muffled voice over the radio

"First line's clear. Moving into second bunker"

"Have you found the centipede yet? If we lose it, Stephen's dead. On mo account let it return through the anomaly. Repeat, do not let it go back. Connor find me something that will do the job" then I asked

"Dad what are you going to do"

"I'm going to invite a very angry centipede to bite me"

"Jesus Christ. If this goes wrong"

" it won't. Just keep us informed on his condition and tell the doctor we are going to get that sample"

I hung up he phone and went to find the doctor.

(Blah blah blah. Time skip because I'm tired. They find the creature, get the venom, Connor kill it and got to Stephen in time)

I've been sat next to Stephens bed for a few hours now and Connor came up behind me whilst dad was getting coffee and asked

"How's he doing"

"The convolutions have stopped. That's something"

"You like him, don't you?"

"That obvious, huh"

"I've seen the way that you act around each other and the looks"

"It can't happen. I'm still a minor and he's my dads best friend"

"When's that ever stopped anyone, you could be the next Romeo and Juliet"

"Con they both died in the end"

"That's not my point, if you've got feelings for him let your dad know and see what he says, then tell Stephen"

"If he wakes up"

Just as I said that Stephen began coughing and then opened his eyes. Connor turned to a doctor and said

"Doctor! I think he's back". Stephen turned and looked right at me and said quietly

"Hey"

"Hey".

1 hour later

Stephen regained his strength quickly and got changed into some normal clothes that Dad brought over for him. As he was reading Claudia came into the room and I stepped outside but made sure I could still hear their conversation.

"Hi"

"Hi"

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I gargled with sand and slept inside a tumble dryer"

"So, tell me about Helen"

"What about her"

"You saw her"

"I saw her? When?"

"I'm the tunnel. That's what you said" at this point I had come back into the room and was leaning against the wall as Stephen said

"I...I was gone, you know. I don't remember anything. I was probably just seeing things"

"Yeah. Probably" she left and I sat back in the chair next to his bed

"What was all that about?"

"You really can't remember a thing after you were bitten? None of the things you said in the ambulance?"

"What did I say?"

"Oh just stuff. I just thought some of it might have stuck, that's all"

"Was it important?"

"Nah, nah. No, not really"

"Thanks for looking after me, Cole"

"Hey that's what I'm here for, right"

Nicks P.O.V.

When Cole told me Stephen was awake I went back to the subway and just sat In front of the anomaly.

"Hi" I turned and saw Connor creeping in. He came and sat down next to me and we just watched the anomaly in silence until he said

"Hey, um... does this mean I'm back in"

"Anyway we can keep you out?"

"I just want to help"

"You did a good job"

"Oh, my god, you know what? All my life I've wanted to be in a crime busting gang. And now I am. Sort of. I dot. Suppose you'd consider giving me a cool nickname, would you?"

"No"

"Oh, well. I thought not" he left and I got up and stood in front of the anomaly. I stretched out my hand and said quietly to myself

"Where are you, Helen? What do you want?"


	8. Chapter 8: 6 months later

Coles P.O.V.

Ok so it's been six months since we discovered them. In that time Conner has been working on a way of finding the as soon as they open, Dad got together with Claudia, Lester is still a pain in the ass and Abby's just Abby. Ok, now to the Stephen situation, he was released from the hospital a few days after he was bitten and got his memory back a few days after that so he remembers everything he said to me and that Mums alive. I've been avoiding him because ever since he's got his memory back its been really, really awkward between us so I haven't been to the University or the home office recently, Ive been focusing on my school work. Talking of school, Cordelia left and Stacey has taken charge as the group leader because she's next riches and it's bad news for me, Stacey knows so much about me and has been coming up with worse insults than before. I've also been working on my stage fright and have been performing at mic nights and battle of the bands events. Oh and Prom is 3 weeks away and everyone's gone into frantic finding a date mode, but I don't think that I'm going to go. Jason gathered up enough courage and asked amy out about 3 months ago and about a months after that Jacob asked Becca out and I've become the third wheel. Also in those months i managed to convince dad to let me get multiple ear piercings, I had 7 on my left ear and 9 on my right.

Anyway so back to reality it's Wednesday 26th of July and I've got college, dad woke me up about 10 minutes ago. Today I was wearing black jeans, a grey top that sits just above my jeans, a dark red leather jacket and a black and grey studded belt. As I was putting my boots on at the top of the stairs the front door opened and Stephen came in. He just looked up at me and we didn't say anything until Dad came out of his office and broke the awkwardness

"Morning Stephen"

"Hey Nick"

"Morning Cole"

"Morning Dad". I got off the stairs and went to the kitchen not even acknowledging Stephen, I know that sounds bad but if dad found out he would kill us. So I got to the kitchen, got a coffee and jumped up on the counter. Dad and Stephen came in and whilst dad was sorting out breakfast Stephen leant up against the counter next to me and said quietly

"Listen we need to talk"

"Do we?"

"You've been avoiding me for 6 months, yeah we need to talk about this"

"Just not around my dad. I'll come to your place later and we can talk, okay"

"Okay"

I then said louder so dad could hear

"So what's been happening with the anomalies recently, dad hasn't been talking about it"

"Right, well last week we encountered these giant worm things and Connor nearly got eaten"

"What was he not paying attention to his surroundings"

"Pretty much but things aren't the same without you around. No ones there to put Lester in his place"

"I've had a lot of school work to catch up on you know with exams only a few months away, redecorating the common room and department common rooms and then Prom. I just haven't had time to run around chasing dinosaurs and saving your asses"

"When have you had to save us. If anything it's us that saves you"

"The pterodactyl"

"Ok next topic. I think that Lester is arranging us to be moved to another location so we have a proper work space"

"That's cool" I looked at the time and then said "Right, I've got to go I'll see you later"

"Are you coming by the university"

"I've got band practice, sorry". I grabbed my bag and guitar and just before I left the house I heard dad say

"Have a good day at school". Then I left and walked to school with my headphones in.

Connors P.O.V.

I've been working on this stupid device for months and it's getting on my nerves. When we discover that the anomalies interfere with radio transmissions and send out its own, Cutter and I began planning a device that will alert us where and when then open. So far I've made a handle held device but we haven't had an anomaly for a week so I can't test it.

But then 3 hours after Stephen, Abby and Cutter arriving, whilst I was doing some Uni work the device began beeping. I picked it up and it had found an anomaly. Nick came up to me and said

"What you got?"

"An anomaly"

"Where?"

"Give me a sec... Uh, what school does Cole go to" Stephen then came over and said

"The Royal Arts College"

"Call her, call her now. There's an anomaly at her school".

Coles P.O.V.

So lunch just ended and I'm at my locker with my friends getting some stuff out of it and thats when Stacey and her bitch squad came over to me and I said

"I'm not in the moody to deal with you today, Stacey" I then closed my locker, grabbed my bag and as I was walking off I heard Stacey say

"I can see why your mother left you, Cole. You are a weak, scared little girl that craves for approval from others. You mother left you because she saw the person you'd become and got out before it happened"

That made my blood boil and I finally snapped. I dropped my bag, scrunched my hand into a fist and swung at her punching her right across the face. Yeah she definitely going to have a black eye. She fell to the ground and I looked at my hand, my knuckles were bleeding I punched her that hard. By now everyone stopped what they were doing and were staring at us in silence. Stacey was on the floor holding her face and then I said

"I've been waiting to do that for ages. That was so worth it" just as I said that the principal pushed through the crowd and shouted

"Cole, Stacey. My office now". So I picked my bag up and walked to her office with Stacey behind me.

Whilst we were sat in her office I could feel my phone buzzing in my jacket. I got it out and Stephen was calling me, as I went to answer it Principal Whitehall came in with two ice packs and said

"Put you phone away Miss Cutter" she handed us both a ice pack, I put mine on my knuckles and Stacey put her on her face, then Whitehall began talking

"I spoke to some witnesses and from what I've found out you are both getting suspended" Stacey that shouted

"What!? Why am I suspended she's the one that punched me"

"Miss Laidly, you are suspended for two weeks because you provoked Miss Cutter and pushed her over the edge, it's your own fault that she punched you. Miss Cutter you are suspended for the rest of the term for retaliating, that's 5 weeks. I will call both your parents". Just as she picked up the phone we heard yelling from outside. Whitehall went to the window and the turned to us and said "What the hell is going on. Stay here". She then left the room and she was gone for a while. While she was gone I got my phone out of my pocket and listened to the voice mail Stephen left me

"Damn it Cole, answer your phone. We just got a reading from Connors device and there's an anomaly at your school. We are on are way just stay safe". When the voice mail ended we heard a scream. Stacey turned around and I went looking through the cupboards to look for a weapon. I found one, in the configuration cupboard there was a baseball bat, I picked it up and said to Stacey

"Stacey, come with me"

"Why would I go with you I don't want to get into anymore trouble"

"Stacey, don't freak out but there might be creature in the school. So come with me". She didn't believe me and I could tell and that's when something came through the other door and ran at us. I pulled Stacey behind me and wracked the creature with the bat, I then grabbed Stacey's wrist and ran out of the room locking the creature Inside.

"Cole what the hell was that?". My phone then began buzzing, I got it out and this time it was Dad calling my I answered but before I could say anything Stacey yelled

"We've just been attacked by some animal and you're taking a phone call"

"Stacey, Shut up and stop panicking. Go check the other door. Take this". I handed her the bat and she ran to the other door to check it.

"Cole, are you okay"

"Peachy. I just got Stephens voice mail, oh and we have a creature incursion. Big, covered in spikes, grey, big teeth, and had tusks"

"Let me hand you to Connor"

"Cole?"

"Connor. Creature, big, covered in spikes, grey, big teeth, and had tusks and looks like a crocodile"

"Sounds like a kaprosuchus. Kaprosuchus was carnivorous, and would hunt its prey by either chasing them down or dragging them away depending upon the circumstances, before killing them by ripping out the throat and later devouring the remains. Kaprosuchus was also aggressive from a very young age, as babies were known to snap their jaws at larger animals and to attack equally-sized fellow animals. Like most reptiles, Kaprosuchus had infrared vision" just as he said that I heard Stacey scream.

"STACEY!" I ran over to her with my phone in my hand and found Stacey standing over a dead body. I knelt down next to it and found their ID tag, it was someone form art class called 'Rose Smith'.

"Cole! Talk to us. Cole what's going on" I out my phone back to my eye after hearing the distressed voices of my dad and Stephen.

"Yeah, I'm here. We've got a body"

"Where are you we're coming in"

"Except one problem, the fire alarm must have been triggered by the anomaly and when that happens after 5 minutes the doors lock and I don't know how to override it" the. Claudia said

"Do you have an ID on the victim"

"Yeah, Rose Smith. She was in my art class, I knew guys" as I said that my phone bleeped

"Damn guys my phones dying. Stacey have you got your phone"

"No it broke"

"Cole listen, Connor is trying to get into the school. For now look for the anomaly and away from the Kaprosuc..."

My phone cut out

"Guys, come on, don't be messing about, I can't do this on my own. Dad, Stephen anyone". I put my phone back in my pocket as Stacey said

"Cole, what's going on? What is that thing in there". I stood up and said

"That, in there. That is a Kaprosuchus, it's a creature from the past, about 65 million years ago. It came through a doorway in time and I need your help to find it and send that creature home. Right now Stacey you have to trust me, I know we're not friends anymore but the people that deal with this can't get in. Do you trust me Stacey"

"You seem to know what you're doing so yeah, I trust you. What's first"

"Do you have any trainers with you"

"In my locker for cheer practice"

"Ok let's go". We went to her locker and she changed her shoes. We then began looking for the anomaly.

After about 15 minutes we found the anomaly. It was on a walk way near the canteen and the upstairs Music rooms. Stacey walked towards it

"Stacey don't get to close"

"It's beautiful"

"I know. The only downside is that it spits out dinosaurs"

"So what's the plan?". I looked over the railings to see how high it was. I then said

"Um... how's your upper body strength"

"All right, I guess why"

"Because I've got a plan". I told her the plan and we went to the canteen to get some cooking oil needed for the plan to work. We got some oil and as we were spilling it over the floor we heard the roar of the kaprosuchus. We threw the bottles away just as the Kaprosuchus was up the stairs and in front of us. I shared a look with Stacey and then I yelled

"Oh, ugly. Come and get us". It ran at us and as It got close to us I said to Stacey

"Go" and we both jumped over the railings, hanging there as the creature slipped on the oil and through the anomaly. As the Kaprosuchus past me one of it spikes caught my arm and ripped my jacket and arm open. The anomaly closed and that's when the others made an appearance. Dad and Stephen came and helped me up, Abby and Connor helped Stacey up. I didn't even notice that my arm was bleeding until Stacey mentioned it

"Cole, your arm". I looked at my arm and it was bleeding quite a lot, it was now hurting like hell.

"Damn. I must have caught it on one of the Kaprosuchus's spikes". That's when dad put his arm around me and said

"Let's get you two out of here". We were taken outside and I was taken to an ambulance to get my arm sort, Stacey sat on a bench opposite me with a blanket over her for shock. As my arm was getting bandaged up Dad went over to Stacey asked

"How did you get that bruise around your eye". I looked up at her and she looked down and me and then said to my dad "oh I must have tripped and hit my head". He accepted that and went to talk to Claudia. When my arm was bandaged up I went over to Stacey and sat next to her.

"Thanks for not telling my dad what happened"

"Thanks for saving my life. Look Cole I didn't mean what I said earlier, I didn't want to but being leader of the bitch squad they expect certain things"

"Stac you don't have to change because people want you too. Be yourself, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. It's your life don't change for the sake of it"

"Thanks Cole, I really am sorry"

"I'm not sorry about giving you that shiner. You did deserve it". As I sent that Stacey's group made their way over and I said

"Well I'm going to tell my Dad that I'm suspended for 5 weeks. Have fun with the Bitch squad". I got up and began walking away and when the bitch squad got to the bench Stacey said

"Cole" I turned to face her as she continued

"Thank you". I smiled at her and walked back over to my dad.

"Hey Dad"

"Hey Cole. You did good today, coming up with a plan like that it was really good. So are you going to tell me why you punched Stacey"

"Wait you know"

"Your principal just told be. 5 week suspension, really"

"She said something about mum. That she left because of me. And I just lashed out. Am I grounded"

"If you make up with Stephen your only grounded for a week. Oh and you have to help out at the university during your suspension. Fair"

"Fair". We then packed up our stuff and drove home.

Later that evening I walked to Stephens apartment so we could talk. When I got there I heard music blasting from his apartment. I knocked on the door, the music stopped and moments later the door opened and Stephen was wearing a vest top and some shorts, he was working out.

"Hey, come in". He stepped aside and I walked into his apartment and just stood in the room. It was really awkward and silence for a while until he said

"Do you want a drink or something"

"No,I'm alright thanks ... About what your said when you were bitten"

"I was scared and dying. I didn't mean it"

"Oh"

"Why"

"Uh... its just that I might have feelings for you"

"Might?"

"Um yeah"

"God your dad is going to kill me for this". The next thing I knew he was kissing me and I was kissing back. We pulled apart and he rested his forehead in mine. After a moment in silence I said

"I should go. It's...Um...getting late"

"You don't have to go"

"If my dad found out he's going to flip. This won't work, you're 8 years older than me"

"Can we just not let this change anything between us"

"Ok. But I really should go". I then left not saying another word.

Stephen lives about 30 minutes from my house and when I was about halfway home, crossing over a bridge a black van came to a screeching halt next to me and the next thing I knew I was being forced into the back of the van and had something pricked I to my arm, then darkness.


	9. Chapter 9: Confusion

Nicks P.O.V.

"Claudia, I'm getting worried. Cole should have been back an hour ago"

"Nick, she's a teenage girl. She's probably just lost track of time"

"I'm going to call her again". I grabbed the phone and called dialed Coles phone.

'Hi, you've reached Cole Cutter. Sorry I can't get to the phone right now. Just leave a message and I'll get back to you'.

"Cole, it's your Dad. Just call me, I'm getting worried you should have been home an hour ago. Just call me and let me know your safe. Bye"

"Where's the last place she went"

"She went to go sort things out with Stephen, I'll give him a ring"

"Hello"

"Stephen, it's Nick Cutter. Listen is Cole there"

"She left mine 2 hours ago. Is she not home yet"

"No and I'm beginning to freak out"

"Have you tried ringing her"

"It goes straight to voicemail. Stephen, if she's not here and she's not with you where is she?"

"I'll go out and look for her. You call her friends and see if she's there"

"And if she's not?"

"Even if we call the police about it they won't class her as missing until 24 hours have passed"

"Let's just hope it doesn't come to that"

I rang her friends and not one of them have seen her since the incident at the school. I also rang Abby and Connor, they haven't seen her either. I'm beginning to panic, Stephens been out looking for her for an hour and he hasn't got back to me. If we can't find her by morning I'm calling the police.

Stephens P.O.V.

Cole left mine two hours ago and when she left I continued with my work out and kept thinking about what happened when she was here. I soon finished and when I did my phone rang.

"Hello"

"Stephen, it's Nick Cutter. Listen is Cole there"

"She left mine 2 hours ago. Is she not home yet"

"No and I'm beginning to freak out"

"Have you tried ringing her"

"It goes straight to voicemail. Stephen, if she's not here and she's not with you where is she?"

"I'll go out and look for her. You call her friends and see if she's there"

"And if she's not?"

"Even if we call the police about it they won't class her as missing until 24 hours have passed"

"Let's just hope it doesn't come to that". He hung up the phone, I grabbed my jacket and went out looking for her.

I looked just about everywhere for her nut when I got to the bridge to catch me breath I saw a phone lying on the floor. I picked it up and pressed the home button, The background was a photo Nick took a few weeks ago at the barbecue we had, it's of me giving Cole a piggyback ride. I looked over onto the road and saw tire tracks, I moved over to them to get a better look at them. They couldn't have been more than a couple of hours old, and the tread matches those from a Ford Transit Connect van. I stood up and said to myself

"Where are you, Cole? What's happened to you?".

No ones P.O.V.

When they pulled Cole into the van they injected her with a drug that rendered her unconscious. They bound her hands behind her back, put tape over her mouth and bag over her head. They drove through the city and about 20 minutes later arrived at the giant abandoned house at the corner of the abandoned street Twomey Grove. Cole was coming around as they were pulling her out of the van. They dragged her through the house and down the the basement. Her bounds were removed and replaced with hand cuffs that wrapped around a pole behind her back in the center of the room, she was then pushed to her knees. The bag was taken off head and she was immediately blinded by the light. The people that brought her here left. Cole struggled in the cuffs thinking she was alone but from the corner a Low, male voice said

"Hello, CC. Long time no see"

Cole's head snapped up to see who it was. The man stepped from the shadows and towards her. She recognized him straight away and struggled even more in the cuffs. The man in question was in fact, Carlisle Laidly, the abusive father of Cole's ex best friend, Stacey. He came towards Cole and took the tape off her mouth and she said with fear in her voice and eyes

"When did you get out of prison?"

"I was broken out by one of my old work colleagues about, um, 2 weeks ago"

"Does Stacey know you're here?"

"No. Well, Not yet anyway"

"Why me?"

"I was in prison for 4 years all because you convinced my little girl to call the cops on me. And now I'm going to repay you for that and when you're weak, I'm going to get Stacey and bring her here so she can watch you fade away". He placed a new piece of tape over her mouth and went over to a table and picked up a piece of metal tubing. He then said smirking

"But first this is for giving my daughter a black eye".

He went back over to her and swung the pipe down onto her head making a medium size gash that oozed thick, red blood down the side of her head and into her hair. Because of wear the pipe struck and the force, she had a big, black, bruise traveling from the gash to her left eye in a matter of seconds. The brute force of the impact brought red spots to Coles vision and of course a killer headache, as she was trying to stay conscious she was thinking to herself 'fractured skull. Bloody fantastic'. After Cole was struck, Carlisle dropped the pipe and then then left the room. When he was up the stairs and out the door Cole heard the door being locked and then gave into the darkness and fell into a dreamless sleep.

Nicks P.O.V.

When Stephen came to me with Coles phone and said that there were tire tracks next to it we agreed to call the police then and there. They came and took a statement from all of us and told us that they can't file an official report until this time tomorrow, I gave them a recent picture of Cole and they then left. Stephen insisted on staying at the house last night just in case Cole came back, he stayed in the spare room and at about 3 am Claudia dragged me to bed. I didn't get any sleep and I'm guessing that Stephen didn't either because when I came down the next morning he was sat on the sofa in clean clothes spinning Coles phone around in his hand. He always kept some clothes here in case we had a late night at the university, he would stay in the back room. He looked up at me briefly and then went back to looking at the phone.

"Stephen looking at the phone won't bring her home"

"I know, I'm just worried"

"I am too but all we can do is trust that the police will find her"

"How are you so calm?"

"Because if I wasn't I would be out there looking no stop for Cole. I want her back as much as you do"

"Nick I need to tell you something"

"Okay"

"When Cole came to see me yesterday we, um ... we kinda kissed"

"About time"

"Wait, what!?"

"How stupid do you think I am. I see the way that you two look at each other"

"Are you all right with it?"

"In time I think I'll come to accept it but nothing happens until she's 18, fair"

"Fair"

"Oh and if you break her heart, I break you. Am I clear"

"Crystal... Do you think we'll get her back before her birthday?".

Coles birthday is 4 weeks away and we planned to have a family Barbecue. It would be me, her, Stephen, Claudia, Connor and Abby. Those are the people we think as family now.

"We have to have hope that we'll find her". Just as I said that Claudia came into the room all ready for work. She came over to me and said

"I'm so sorry but I have to go to work"

"Anomaly"

"Yes but me, Connor and Abby can deal with it. You two should stay here in case the police call. If we need anything we will call. Also if I get a spare second I will see if I can pull anything up on Cole's case"

"Thank you. Now go to work" we kissed and then she left.

The rest of the day was spent moping around the house worrying about Cole. But the 24 hour deadline came and went, it's official Cole is a missing person.


	10. Chapter 10: 1 weeks later

No ones P.O.V.- At the Royal Art College

No one here knows that Cole is missing, yet. It was a normal day at the college and just before the day ended the police turned up and the principal called an assembly. The assembly hall slowly filled up and when it was, the principal stepped onto the stage with a couple of policemen at her side.

"I know that everyone was ready to go home but I've put this assembly off long enough. Most of you here know Cole Cutter, and just about all of you know about her suspension. However a week ago something happened to Cole, she was kidnapped"

Whispers echoed through the hall as Principal Whitehall stepped aside and a policeman began speaking

"Cole Cutter was taken on Hammersmith Bridge on Wednesday 26th. The people that took her were driving a black ford transit van. We've looked but we can't seem to find the van. We may have an idea for who has taken Cole, 3 weeks ago someone broke out of prison. I won't reveal his identity at this moment for certain reasons. We are here to urge you that if you know anything related to this incident to contact our help line. Thank you for your time"

"When you are going home today, Please be vigilant. Thank you for your time".

Only one person in the crowd knew who had taken Cole. Stacey knew that her father broke out of prison because the police told her and her family a few days after Cole was taken. Everyone left the college and the mood was dull and depressing especially between Coles closest friends. Over the next few days people had started placing objects on and around Coles locker as a sort of shrine. Coles friends stopped going to their lockers because every time they saw the shrine the girls would get really upset and tears would fall down their faces, the group also stopped playing music.

Meanwhile at the abandoned mansion Cole could barely stand due to a deep but on her right lower leg that she acquired a couple of days ago. Carlisle had been installing cooling units, the same kind that is used in walk in freezers. The cut on Coles head wasn't getting any better, in fact her headache was getting worse but that could just be from the lack of water.

The next day the temperature in the room began to drop slowly but because of the cut on Coles leg, her body was working over time to keep her warm. That wasn't the only new injury Cole has got, she also has intense bruising on her stomach that Carlisle inflicted on her. Then out of nowhere the basement door opened and Carlisle and a couple of his men came down but they had someone else with them. That other person was female and had a bag over her head. They then chained this other girls hands around a pole just like Coles and removed the bag from her head revealing Stacey Laidly, she also has tape over her mouth. When Stacey saw Cole she began pulling on her restraints but it was no use, that's when Carlisle began speaking

"Do you remember what I told you when you first got here Cole. I'll just remind you then. You convinced my little girl to call the cops on me. And I'm going to repay you for that and when you're weak, I was going to bring Stacey and bring her here so she can watch you fade away and guess what, that time has come. If you haven't noticed that the temperature in here is dropping and because of that cut in your leg and how weak you are, you will freeze to death before the cops find you. Enjoy these last moments together"

He and his men then left and locked the door, they also left the tape on Stacey's mouth. Coles head fell forward in defeat and all she could hear was the sound of chains rattling next to her. She turned her head and said

"Give it a rest Stacey, you can't break them I've been trying for a week". Just as Cole said that her cuffs fell to the floor and she took the tape off her mouth.

"How did you?"she came over to Cole and as she was picking the lock on her cuffs, Stacey said

"When we were in middle school we used to break into people's lockers, remember"

"That was a long time ago. But we've got another problem". Coles cuffs came off and she fell forward, Stacey caught her and helped her down to the ground. She looked at the cut in Coles leg and said

"God the team better hurry up and get here. The temperature is dropping dramatically"

"The what?"

"The Anomaly Research team, your dad and his work colleagues. We've been looking for a way to find you, so I volunteered to get caught and come here with a tracker so they can get us out"

"You know about the anomalies?"

"Well when a Kaprosuchus attacks you at school you go looking for answers"

"How's my Dad"

"Stephen and him are worrying like crazy"

"They always are". Cole then began to drift off. Stacey shock her and said

"CC stay awake. I know you're cold and tired but you have to stay awake just a little longer, please"

Nick's P.O.V.

Over the past week Connor has been working on a bigger version of the Detector to keep himself busy. Everyone on the team has really been worried about Cole but none so more than me and Stephen. However when Stacey came to us asking questions about the Kaprosuchus and saying that she might have a way to get to Cole, we had hope. So we told her about the anomalies and she told us her plan. At first we were against it but under carful consideration we realized that if we want Cole back we have to let Stacey get caught. But we didn't let her go without a way of us finding her so we gave her a tracker that can't be jammed. So we watched as Stacey was taken and waited until the tracker stopped moving that's when we went after them. It took us 20 minutes to reach a abandoned mason where Stacey's signal was coming from.

We got out of the cars and as I was walking to the house Ryan stopped me and said

"Cutter, let us get her out. We don't know how many people are in there and if they have guns"

"No way I'm getting my daughter out of there" Claudia came over and said

"Nick, let Ryan go in first. He right we don't know who's in there. Trust him". She gave me a look and I gave in

"Fine. Ryan just just get my daughter out of there"

"Of course. Let's go men". Him and his soldiers then ran towards the house.

Stacey's P.O.V.

I've been here 20 minutes and Cole isn't doing good. The temperature in here must be -30 or below, I'm okay with it but Cole is shaking like mad. Her lips are blue, her breath his visible and her eyes keep shutting. I'm currently pacing when I looked over a Cole and her eyes were shut. I went over to her and shook her awake

"Cole! Stay with me. Come on, they will be here soon"

"Stacey just let me sleep"

"Not in a million years. Just talk to me, come one we haven't had a proper chat in years. What's new in your life apart from the anomalies"

"I'm dying and you want a chat" I pulled her close to me trying to warm her up and said

"You're not dying"

"I'm so tired, Stac. Please let me sleep". After Cole said that I heard shouting from upstairs and the the door opened

"Stacey, Cole where are you?" it was Ryan

"Ryan over here! Cole your going to be alright". I looked down at her and her eyes were closed.

"Cole?! Cole open your eyes". Ryan ran over to us and said to me

"Stacey go upstairs. I'll take Cole". I let go of Cole and one of Ryan's men took me upstairs, I turned around and saw Ryan carrying Cole.

Nick's P.O.V.

Ryan and his team have been in there for a while and they haven't come out yet. I was pacing around the truck, Stephen kept tapping on the truck and Claudia was trying to calm us down.

"CUTTER!". when my name was shouted I turned and saw Ryan coming out of house carrying Cole in his arms. I ran to him and took Cole from his arms just as the medics came over with a stretcher. She was freezing. I placed Cole on the stretcher and that's when Connor said

"Oh my god, her leg". I looked at her leg and saw a big, deep cut across the bottom of her right leg and it was bleeding a lot. The medics wheeled Cole over to the ambulance and as they out her in Claudia said

"Nick go with her we will meet you there. Stacey go get checked out too". Stacey and I got in the ambulance and went to the hospital. We got there and Stacey was taken to get check out and Cole was taken to another room where I wasn't allowed, so I had to wait in reception. Moments later the team arrived and we all sat in reception waiting for the doctor. After about 30 minutes the doctor came out and it was the same person that treated Stephen when he got bit.

"How is she?"

"She's got small cuts on her wrist from handcuffs, intense bruising on her stomach and internal organs, the cut on her leg is very deep and has needed stitches, the cut on her arm she acquired before this happened is infected, she has a fractured skull, a black eye and hypothermia. She's currently unconscious but should be awake tomorrow at some point"

"When will she be able to go home?"

"Right now I'm most concerned about is her body temperature and her head injury. We will know more when she wakes up"

"Can we see her?"

"Visiting hours are over but I can give you 10 minutes. But you can come back tomorrow at 8 in the morning"

"Thank you". We all then went into Coles room. She was lying in bed hooked up to a IV bag, had a fresh bandage on her arm, one on her leg and small plasters on her head, she also had a few blankets on her to warm her up. We sat with her for 10 minutes and then were asked to leave, so we went home and for the first time in a week we actually got some sleep.


	11. Chapter 11: Family Reunion part 1

Nick's P.O.V

The next morning I got up early and packed a couple of Coles things (her laptop, art things, spare clothes, phone, headphones, chargers and a few DVDs). Then I went downstairs to get some food with Claudia, when she saw me she said

"Are you getting ready to see Cole?"

"Yeah. I want to be there when she wakes up and I think Stephen is meeting me there". She got up, came over to me and said

"If I get a spare minute I'll come by but I need to smooth things over about the rescue mission, sound good" I kissed her and she grabbed her bag and as she was leaving she said

"Give Cole my love"

"Have a good day at work". She left and 20 minutes later so did I.

When I got to the hospital I knew Stephen was already there because his motorbike was out front. I walked through the hospital to Coles room and when I got there Stephen was at the sofa on his phone. I placed the bag on the floor and sat in the chair next to Coles bed. We began chatting and after a few hours we heard coughing, we looked at Cole and she was waking up.

"Stephen get the doctor". He left and Cole turned to face me.

"Dad?"

"Hey, sweetheart. You're safe now". The doctor came in and began talking to Cole

"Welcome back, now first thing first. What's your name and how old are you?". Memory questions

"Cole Cutter and 17"

"Well your memory is intact. How are you feeling?"

"I'm cold, head hurts, leg and arm hurts as well, pretty much everything hurts"

"I'll get you some more pain killers. And for now you've just got to keep wrapped up. And if your body temperature improves over the next few days you can go home the middle of next week. I'll be back in a minute with your pain killers". She left and Cole adjusted her bed so she was sat up. When she was sat up she began talking

"How's Stacey?"

"Better condition than you. She just had to stay for over night observation"

"How long was I gone" Stephen then said

"A week. We've been worrying like made" he sat in the side of her bed and held her hand. She gave me a look and I said

"I know that you two kissed"

"And you're okay with it"

"I'll get over it. It's good to have you back Cole. I'm going to call Claudia and let her know you're awake".

I left the room and called Claudia

"Hey Nick"

"Hey Claudia I've got some news"

"Is Cole alright?"

"She just woke up"

"That's great. Listen I'll be by later with Connor and Abby, we've got some work to do"

"See you later". Later that day the rest of the team came to see Cole and at one point even Stacey came to see her, and I think that their friendship is rekindling. The week drowned on, Cole got better and easily board, her friends weren't allowed to come and see her because she was on a strict healing plan. Eventually the day arrived when Cole was allowed to go home.

Coles P.O.V.

I've been at the hospital for just about a week and I'm finally allowed to leave. My arm healed, the cut in my head healed but I've still got traces of the bruise around my eye, the bruises on my stomach healed but my internal organs are still bruised and my leg is better but I've got a limp. So today I got to up really early so I could get out early, today I'm wearing light denim jeans, dark grey top, black converse, a necklace with a C on it, I've got multiple earrings in, a rope bracelet and fro a change I had my hair up in a ponytail with a small braid running through it and to top it all off I've got a leather jacket with a hoodie in it.

I'm currently packing up my stuff when the doctor came in and said

"Okay here are your painkillers, take two every 3 hours 4-5 times a day. Take it easy on your leg and don't do anything to stressful and strenuous, your internal organs are still healing. Be careful" I took the painkillers from her and thanked her. She then left and that's when my dad made his first appearance of the day.

"Hey dad"

"Hey you ready to go"

"God yes". We left and as we got to the car Dads phone went off.

"Claudia, what's up...what now ... alright I'll be there as soon as I can" he hung up the phone and I said

"Anomaly?"

"Possibly. I'll take you home first if you want"

"No way I've been out of the field for too long"

"Are you sure you can do this?"

"I'll be careful, promise"

"Fine. Just be with someone the whole time". We got into and drove off to the local swimming pool where the incident has occurred. We got there and when I got out of the car I heard Claudia say

"Cole what are you doing here you should be at home resting"

"I've been resting for a week, I just want to do something else. I'll be careful". Then we went over to an inspector and spoke to him about what was going on. It turns out that a couple of life guard went swimming before the pool officially opened and the male went missing.

"Pretty obvious she killed her boyfriend, but we don't know what she did with the body. Just keeps babbling on about monsters and sea serpents" Dad then said

"Would you let me talk to her?"

"What about? Monsters? I'm conducting a serious murder investigation here..."

"There was no murder. Antony Barton was killed by an ancient marine predator, which then returned to its home millions of years in the past."

"Who are you people?" Dad and I walked off but Claudia said to the inspector

"I'm sorry. Thanks for your time, inspector. Cutter, wait" we both stopped and she caught up with us and began talking to dad but I spoke first

"The girls innocent"

"I know" then dad

"We can't let her go to jail for something she didn't do.

"Leave that with me. I'll do what I can for her". Her and dad then went somewhere and I went to join the others, Stephen was the first to notice me

"What are you doing here?"

"Got board, wanted something to do. What are you doing"

"Getting ready to go for a swim" he was in swim shorts and was in fact going into the pool to look for any signs of a creature. I leant up against the pool railing as Connor began speaking, Abby was crouched behind him doing something

"With all this chlorine in the pool, I'm surprised the creature even came through. To a reptile, it would have been like swimming in a bucket of acid" Stephen then said

"Yeah. It probably sensed the danger and got out fast before the anomaly closed.". He then dived into the pool, splashing all of us.

"Cheers".

Claudia's P.O.V.

I left the pool shortly after Nick arrived so I could talk to Lester about the girl

"The police have charged Diane Johnson"

"I know"

"We have to intervene"

"We're not going to do that"

"Why not?"

"Because I won't allow this story to become public property. At least I'm prison the newspapers can't get hold of her"

"So you're just going to let the. Lock up an innocent and traumatized girl?"

"Of course it's undesirable, but it'd be far worse to release her to cause panic and disorder. I'll see that the charges are dropped when the immediate crisis is under control"

"That could take months"

"And would you rather tell the police that an ancient sea monster is cruising our swimming pools consuming lifeguards?. I know the injustice stings, but the correct decision is often painful. That's the burden of government"

No ones P.O.V.

Meanwhile it was a normal day down at the reservoir, there were boats out of the water, music playing, families having a good time. Little did they know a terrifying creature was in the water below. The creature below was just swimming around until it coughed something up. It coughed up a ball of flesh and bone. People screamed when it surfaced and everyone gathered to have a look.

Nicks P.O.V. At the home office (Claudia's speech, James speech, Nicks speech)

"Well, the DNA is conclusive. It's the boy from The swimming pool. Or,what's left of him"

"It's a bolus. A regurgitated mass of flesh and bone. The beast swallowed him whole and then vomited up what it couldn't digest"

"What type of creature could have don't this to him?"

"What you should be asking yourself is how the remains of a boy who was attacked k. A swimming pool end up 20 miles away in a reservoir"

"Maybe there never was an anomaly. Maybe the girl murdered her boyfriend in the swimming pool and dumped his body in the reservoir"

"It's very likely, provided you also believe she swallowed him whole and then drove 20 miles down The motorway to regurgitate his remains"

"All right then you explain"

"We know it was the same beast in the pool and the reservoir. Perhaps the anomaly has a fixed point of origin in the past, yet somehow it remains fluid in our time. They don't just open, they move"

At the reservoir

All of the soldiers are out on the boats and Have special forces divers with them. They are searching the water whilst the rest of us are trying to make sense of this. Cole is with Abby and Stephen looking at water samples, Connor is doing something and I'm talking with Claudia.

"We haven't found anything yet. No creature, no anomaly, no nothing. We're still searching the reservoir but with a you've the anomaly's closed again"

"I need detailed local maps, lists of swimming pools, river, lakes, anything nearby. Can you get those for me?"

"Should I be asking why? "

"It's just an idea"

"Do you know what I miss? Those soul-Crushingly dull civil service meetings, which made suicide look like an exiting career option. I used to sit there praying something would happen in my life"

"Careful what you wish for"

"PROFESSOR! PROFESSOR!"

I heard Connor shout for me so i ran over to see what he wanted.

"You're really going to want to see this. The reservoir's land locked, right?"

"Yes"

"So allowing for condensation and rainfall, the depth should be pretty consistent"

"Yes"

"Well I made this mark at water level earlier. The water levels fallen 40 centimeters sine then. This isn't a reservoir any more. It's a tidal lake. The waters literally pouring out of it"

"It must be flowing out through the anomaly. Which means it's still down there somewhere"

After talking to Connor I stood looking out over the water, after a few minutes Claudia came over with a coffee

"Here you are"

"Thanks very much"

"Thinking about Helen?"

"How did you know that?"

"Highly trained civil servant. We're famous for our emotional empathy."

"Whatever I'm doing, she's always there. She never really goes away"

"Strange. Of all the people in the world to hallucinate about, Stephen chose Helen" I looked back out over the water and saw something

"Steam. Don't you see? The tide must be coming in, bringing in warmer water from the other side. The steam is telling us exactly where the anomaly is."

After I said that I ran off and got kitted up in scuba gear, same as Stephen despite Coles protest.

"I suppose there's no point asking you not to go down with them"

"You don't have to worry about me"

"I'm not, I'm just thinking of all the paperwork Claudia will have to do if you drown. No idea how many forms she'll have to fill in. What if you're right and the creature is still down there?"

"We'll find it"

"Be careful, both of you"

"Aren't we always... (turn to Stephen) all right?". We then went off in the boats to look for it.

Connors P.O.V.

Whilst Stephen and Cutter are looking for the anomaly, Abby and I are stuck taking water samples. When I heard squawking from some swans I turned around and said

"Abby? Um, what's that?" She turned and there was something coming towards us, something big.

"Don't move" Abby said to me. When we couldn't see the creature anymore we ran to land.

"Go! Quickly Abby. Jump! You okay?" We got to the land but within seconds something jumped out at us. It was trying to eat us and we couldn't move. I eventually picked up an ore and gabbed it into its mouth causing it to bleed and swim away.

Nicks P.O.V.

When we got back to land Connor told me what Happened

"Some kind of mosasaur, maybe six or seven meters. Cretaceous, at a guess"

"Scary. And at that size it couldn't have been fully grown"

"Yeah"

"Which is just as well for you". He walks away and I began talking to Claudia

"They're all really upset about losing the diver. Tell me exactly what happened"

"He saw through right in front of me. He should have been able to make it back through"

"Something must have stopped him. Are you absolutely certain the anomaly closed?"

"Straight after the mosasaur went back through. The water temperatures already returned to normal."

"Then we've lost him"

"Yeah"

At the home office

We got to the home office and me, Cole and Stephen went to explain my theory to James.

"The anomalies are times equivalent of an earthquake. Strong enough to rip apart the boundaries between dimensions. My guess is that the fault line ruptured at the swimming pool, then ran to the reservoir. It could crash it's way through into our time again anywhere along this line"

"Earthquakes. Temporal fault lines. Are we trying a little bit too hard, people? It's random chance, That's all. There's no connection with any of it. Try to look on the bright side, Cutter. The anomaly is gone, the crisis is over and I'd say we got off pretty lightly" Cole then said

"Except that a good man is now permanently marooned in the past"

"Oh how I have missed your attitude, Cole" I then said

"There could be another breach along the fault line at any given moment. You should be stationing troops at every significant body of water between the reservoir and the coast."

"The press would be crawling all over us in seconds. How on earth would we explain it? I mean you admit that it's all conjecture"

"Yes of course it is but I'm right"

"You people, you're worse than the climate change mob. One cold day in July, suddenly it's the new ice age."

"You making a mistake. If and when the anomaly breaks through again, I guarantee you it'll be somewhere along this line"

(Time skip because I'm lazy, another anomaly opens at a house, someone dies, team get called in, missing diver returns dead, everyone ( including Claudia who didn't know) finds out Helens alive, Nick goes through the anomaly to bring her back, she says no and asks Nick to go with her, he rejects her and head home but loses his oxygen tank, when he comes back he's unconscious, Claudia send in a team of special divers to bring Helen back. Action pick up when Nick wakes up)

Coles P.O.V.

There was an ambulance on stand by for when dad came back, so when he came back unconscious he was taken to the ambulance and check over there, he was perfectly fine just unconscious so we stayed with him there. Stephen is still in the house, I'm sat down in the ambulance , Connor and Abby are stood outside and dads lying on the bed. There are soldiers around us acting all serious like something is about to happen. Dad then regained consciousness but is still groggy, as that wore off he said

"How long have I been out for?". I answered him

"Not long. "

"I have to talk to Claudia"

"There's something you should know" but before we could step out of the ambulance there were soldiers around us saying

"Don't move". The next thing we knew people were coming out of the house and two of the soldiers were pulling Helen with them, Stephen was held back and we couldn't move at the risk of being shot.

"Mum"

They put her in the back of a car and drove off, leaving us shocked by what just happened.


	12. Chapter 12: Family Reunion part 2

The next morning Helen was walked through the building she was being kept in with multiple guards. She was walked into the interrogation room and was greeted by James Lester and Claudia Brow. From the get go Helen knew that she wasn't going to answer any of their question, Helen also knew that she needed to and wanted to talk to Cole and Nick. But mainly Cole she had something she had to ask her, something important and that could effect everything in Coles life.

"Presumably there are still laws about kidnapping" was the first thing that Helen said as the lights on the table turned on.

"Though officially you're dead, we can't have kidnapped someone who doesn't exist now, can we?" Said James as he read over Helens file again. He sat down and continued to talk

"The only way you can get out of here is by telling us everything you know about the anomalies"

"I'll tell you one thing. You're the spitting image of a utahraptor I once met in the Jurassic" James sniggered at the comment and then Claudia was handed a piece of paper by one of the guards

"I'll take that as a refusal to cooperate shall I?" Claudia read the paper and said

"We've got another one. In a block of flats in the city centre"

"Happy now. Send the team out"

The military team arrived at the location moments later in a silver van. They left and made their way into the building to the apartment that the call came from. A few moments after that Cutter and his team showed up and made their way into the building. As Stephen and Connor passed a group of kids a football rolled towards them and Stephen kicked it and it hit the 'No ball games' sign. Connor then said

"Fluke"

"Jealous" was Stephens simple reply. They all continued their way up to the apartment. When they got there Ryan's men had just got into the flat. They all crowed around the bathroom, Nick was by the door ready to open it, The women who owns the flat them said

"I wasn't expecting the SAS". Cole then said

"The town council takes pest control very seriously Mrs Davis". Nick gave Cole a look and then turned to Ryan and said

"You ready?" Ryan nodded and Nick opened the door. Ryan went into the room first swiftly followed by Nick, Stephen and Cole. When they saw what they were up against Nick said rather calmly

"Relax everyone it's only a python" Stephen turned away, he had a slight fear of snakes. And then Mrs Davis screamed right in Connors ear and said

"Only a python what the hell were you expecting"

"Ow!"

Meanwhile back at the high security song at the Home office Lester had just received word that the anomaly was a false alarm. He and Claudia went back into the interrogation room and saw a smug looking Helen sat at the table. They sat down and Claudia said

"Well it turns out the it was an illegally imported pet escaped from the upstairs flat and has been living in the drains"

"Did you know it was a false alarm" Helen didn't say anything she just fiddled with a button on her sleeve. James then spoke again

"You told your husband that you knew how to find the anomalies"

"What ever I said to Nick is between me and him"

"Prier knowledge to anomaly location would be priceless. If you could give us that information it's your absolute duty as a citizen to do so"

"As you pointed out I don't even exist so how can I be a citizen"

"I have the power to make your life extremely unpleasant"

"How can you bare to work with this man?" Helen asked Claudia. Claudia responded with

"At the end of the day this is about something very simple, saving lives. Now you can do that. So if you know anything at all, just tell us" Helen thought about it for a few moments and then saw it as the perfect opportunity to speak to Nick and Cole

"Bring Nick to me and I'll tell you everything I know. But on one condition afterwards I get to talk to Cole, alone. No guards no cameras, just me and my daughter"

"We can get Nick and Cole her but we can't promise that you will be completely alone, that is if Cole even want to speak with you". So Claudia left the room to make the call to Nick.

He answered and said straight away

"Do you have any idea how many times I've tried calling you today"

"I've been busy. And actual you should be thanking me that you're still involved at all"

"Ah you can't get rid of me you need me"

"Well the truth is we need each other. Believe me more now than ever"

"I hope she's driving Lester crazy"

"Listen she wasn't to talk to you and Cole but she'll only tell you the information if she talks to Cole alone. Meaning no guards it cameras just Cole and Helen"

"No way"

"Nick it could be the only shot we've got to get this information" there was a moment of silence as Nick contemplated Helens proposal

"I'll bring Cole with me but if she wants someone with her it's happening"

"Fine just get down here fast"

Coles P.O.V

About two minutes ago dad left me, Connor, Abby and Stephen in the bathroom to deal with the python and for me it was entertaining because Abby made the snake hating Stephen hold it. Connor then began speaking

"Don't worry this ones only a baby. Fully long they can be up to twelve feet long" Stephen then said

"Thanks that makes me feel so much better" Abby then responded to that by asking

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah I love snakes" he handed the snake back over to Abby and said "we're going to need a bigger bag" he then left and as he passed me I said

"Baby". When he was gone Connor asked me something

"Cole"

"Connor"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"You just did. But go ahead and ask another one"

"What was it like?". I froze after he asked me that because I had an idea where it was going.

"What was what like?"

"You know, almost freezing to death. What was it like". Memories came flashing back of that week I was kidnapped, I needed a breather so I got up and left the room with out another word. As I left I heard Abby say "Nice one Connor". I then proceeded out if the apartment but passed Stephen at the door

"Cole. you alright?"

"Yeah, just need a breather that's all". I walked off with out saying another word and went to the staircase. I got there and leant up against the barrier. I was there for a few minutes until dad came up and said

"I was just coming to get you we need to get to the home office"

"Ok just give me a second". He stood next to me and said

"You don't have to be here, Cole. Everyone will understand if you need to go home"

"I'm fine dad"

"Well this might change your mood. Your mum wants to talk to us. She wants to give me some information and in return she has a one on one with you , no guards or cameras. I can tell her no if you're not up for it"

"I've waited 8 years to talk to her. No way in hell am I passing that up. Come on let's go see mum". We went downstairs, got into the car and drove to the home office without another word shared between us.

We got to the home office and went straight into the interrogation room. We sat down and I didn't say anything, I just listened to my parents arguing, nothing new there then

"are they looking after you properly"

"if you cared about that you wouldn't have set me up in the first place"

"I didn't set you up. Okay believe what you like"

"They're listening to every word, aren't they"

"Oh I don't know probably"

"I need you to get me out of here Nick"

"Well then tell me what you know. Tell me where the anomalies are? Tell me why they're happening? and the maybe I can help you"

"Right now why is the least of your problems"

"See what does that mean?"

"You want me to help? Alright I'll help. Unless you act within the next 24 hrs a pride of sabertooth killers will be rampaging through central London. No that I've told you can I speak with my daughter". Dad looked at me and I just gave a simple nod. He got up and left with the guards, mum then waited for the cameras to turn off before she spoke to me.

"So how have you been?"

"8 years and that's the first thing you say to me. Not Hi Cole, sorry I abandoned you at the age of 9, sorry I left you father to raise you in his own, sorry i didn't come back"

"I wanted to come back so many times"

"Then why didn't you?"

"When I first discovered the anomalies I only planned to be gone a few weeks and then come back and get you. So you could come with me but a time went of I realized that it would be best for you to stay with your father"

"So you didn't come back to give me my best chance. Sorry if I don't believe that"

"I am truly sorry for what I've out you through but I'm here now"

"Yeah but for how long? Do you want to know something. I've been suspended from college for five weeks for punching someone in the face just because they said that you left because of me and when I was little I did think that. Jesus mum I was only nine and I needed my mother"

"Cole I didn't leave because of you. I wanted to come back for you, I honestly did"

"I almost died last week, mum. I almost died thinking that my mother was still alive but oh wait she doesn't want to make contact, can you imagine how I felt"

"How did you?"

"I was kidnapped by Carlisle Laidly, you remember him right I used to be best friends with his daughter but I convicted her to report him for abuse so he blamed me for his time in prison. He got out and took his frustration out on me". I had my hands in the table and after I told her what happened not only did I feel tears threatening to fall from my eyes, I also felt my mothers hands on mine.

"Cole I'm going to ask you something but you don't have to give me an answer now. I don't want to be alone anymore, you father already turned down my offer so here goes. Cole I want to make up the last 8 years to you so come with me"

"What?"

"Come with me, we can travel the past, explore new places together, as mother and daughter"

"I don't know what to say"

"Just think about it. Something is going to happen but this won't be the last time you see me. So you've got time to think". To say I was shock would be a bit of an understatement, I'm absolutely gobsmacked.


	13. Chapter 13: Family Reunion part 3

Coles P.O.V.

I pulled my hands away from Mums and sat back in my chair utterly speechless. I just stared at her for what felt like a life time until Claudia came in and said

"Cole, you need to leave. We have to ask her some more questions" Mum then said

"What ever you have to ask me, you can ask in front of Cole"

"Okay. Where's the Anomaly that the sabertooth cats are coming through"

"I won't tell you but I will take you there" dad then said

"You know that we can't do that. Just tell us, Helen"

"You can trust me Nick. Just ask our daughter"

"Cole?…Cole?". I stood up and began walking towards the door and as I passed dad I said

"Just do it". I then went through the building and sat outside on the steps thinking Mums offer.

After a few minutes the rest of the team pulled up in the silver pick up truck. I could tell Stephen was driving because when the car came to a stop it was a wheel screeching halt. They got out and I said "Dad is inside talking to Lester and Claudia" they continued up the stairs and Connor said

"I'm sorry about what I asked earlier, I didn't think"

"It's fine Con. I'm just not ready to talk about it". They carried on up the stairs but Stephen stopped and said

"I'll catch you up". The next thing I knew he was sitting next to me on the stairs.

"What's up"

"Nothing"

"See I almost believe that. Except I know you and I know when you're frustrated"

"It's just seeing and talking to mum after so long, brought back memories of my childhood when she was actually around"

"Good or bad"

"Both"

"Wanna talk about it"

"Nope"

"Just like that, don't even have to think about it"

"Yep"

"Is that all your going to say from now on"

"Maybe". After I said that I heard dad ask

"Stephen can I speak to Cole?"

"Yeah sure" he got up and was replaced by dad.

"What did Helen say to you?"

"Nothing"

"Don't lie to me, Cole"

"I'm not"

"Dammit Cole. (He stood up, went down a few steps, turned to me and continued talking) She asked you to go with her didn't she"

"No. She just asked how I've been doing and asked me to forgive her. That's the truth"

"I really want to believe that, Cole. But you have a tell when you're lying, you won't look me in the eye" by this time I was standing up trying to look him in the eye but I couldn't. A few seconds later the team including Claudia, some guards and mum came out of the building and multiple cars pulled up.

"Go home Cole"

"No, I'm going too. I'm not a little kid anymore, dad, so stop treating me like one"

"I'll stop treating you like one when you stop acting like one".

He then turned and got into the truck with Stephen, Connor and Abby but I got into the same car as Claudia and Mum. I was sat next to her in the back and as we were driving to the anomaly location she asked

"Are you okay?"

"I'm just tired. I need something new in my life" she gave me a look and Claudia said

"No talking" so I just went back to fiddling with my 'C' necklace.

We drove all the way across town but soon arrived at a football stadium. We got out of the cars and Mum lead us through the building until we got to the playing field, that's when Claudia said

"Here?"

"Do exactly as I say and this doesn't have to be a disaster" she continued to lead through the building until we got to the kitchen. She stopped and pointed at the walk in fridge, I was stood at her side when Claudia said

"In there?"

"Yep in there"

"Connor" after a mod from Dad Connor went over to the door to check for a magnetic field.

"There's no trace of a magnetic field" I then said

"The doors are too thick it can't penetrate the metal" Claudia then asked dad

"Is that true?"

"It's possible"

"Watch her".

Claudia then walked over to the door to open then but mum intervened

"Hey! What if the cats have already come through they could be right in the other side of the door"

"You know what she's really starting to get on my nerves" dad then said smugly

"I can under stand that"

"Your bluffing"

"Try me"

"Cole you're good with locks, get it open"

"I'll see what I can do".

I went over to the door, crouched down, looked at the lock and then stood back up and mum handed me a multi tool she pulled out of her pocket. I took one of the prongs out and within a few seconds the lock opened. I put the tool in my pocket and took the chain off the door. I went to open it but couldn't so Stephen came over to help. The doors opened revealing the anomaly and that's when all hell broke loose. Just about all of the equipment in the kitchen was metal so it was all dragged to the anomaly, everyone ducked down apart from Connor and just as something was about to hit his head Stephen caught it and said

"This is when you duck"

"Okay" he ducked and after a few seconds Mum said

"You know you'll make a terrible poker player"

After everything was pulled in Connor went into the fridge, picked something up and said

"Anybody hungry" mum looked at what he was holding, a meat pie, and said

"Oh my god. We've got to get rid of them, the meat will act like bait" she went to move towards the anomaly but was stopped by the guards

"Unless you want you're men to be breakfast, I suggest you do something".

"Okay clear them out"

Everyone then began unloading the pies from the fridge leaving mum completely unguarded. She gave me a look and then grabbed my arm and ran to the anomaly but just as she pulled me through I heard dad yell

"COLE!"


	14. Chapter 14: 2 weeks later part 1

A golfer, Andy, drives by cart across a golf course to where his golf ball is, and confidently picks his golf club and heads up to the ball, ready to swing with the club. However, the confident moment is ruined when Andy's club misses the golf ball in the swing. In another part of the golf course, another golfer, Andy's friend Jeff, is stuck in a bunker on the course and trying without success to get out. Meanwhile, back at Andy, he is making repeatedly unsuccessful swings which keep missing his ball, growing more frustrated, until eventually he successfully hits the ball with a swing. However, to Andy's chagrin, the ball lands in a nearby pond. Andy then gets a mobile phonecall from Jeff, who admits to Andy that he's gotten stuck in a bunker and asks Andy if he's reached the green yet. Andy looks over to the pond and thinks, and lies to Jeff that he has indeed reached the green, and Jeff then ends their call. Andy then looks over at the golf course's nearby hotel. Andy subsequently heads over to the pond's edge, and looks around to make sure no-one's looking, then begins fishing around in the pond with his hand for his ball. At the bottom of the pond, Andy's hand eventually finds his golf course and picks it up and takes it out of the pond, but as Andy does, an animal skeleton is seen at the pond bottom. Unaware of the dead animal bones in the pond, Andy looks at his wet golf ball in his hand and then throws it away to a further-away part of the course than the pond.

Andy is driving across the course in his golf cart, arguing with Jeff, who is following behind on foot and apparently trying to get Andy to let him come aboard the cart and ride it to the next part of the course with him. Andy is reluctant as he thinks Jeff should have gotten his own golf cart, but Jeff asks Andy to stop making a fuss and just let him on. Andy appears to agree to let Jeff come on the cart with him, but as soon as Jeff is about to come on, Andy immediately speeds the cart off, to Jeff's chagrin. Later, Andy is alone on a part of golf course, and makes a successful swing, but the golf ball lands off in the forest vegetation nearby. Andy subsequently heads off into the vegetation in search of his ball, and when he is searching through the ferns and shrubs with his hand for the ball, he painfully cuts his fingers on something. Andy throws his cut finger, causing a splash of blood from it to shake free and land on a nearby tree. Andy comes back out of the trees onto the golf course, and as he looks around, he sees something unseen which causes him to immediately stumble and run off in shock and horror, with the unseen thing giving pursuit from above and closing in. Jeff is at another part of golf course with his ball when he hears Andy screaming in the distance. Back at Andy, he is screaming in agony and flesh his heard tearing, as it is seen from his feet that the unseen thing attacking him is lifting his body off the ground. Jeff runs off from where he is to see what's going on, and a horrified Jeff quickly finds Andy's bloody corpse on the golf course.

Meanwhile at Abby's flat, Connor finishes making a tray of breakfast, when Abby comes in, and is touched upon seeing the breakfast. However, Connor doesn't know what Abby means and then heads out with the breakfast, as he has made the breakfast for himself rather than Abby. Connor says he will play Oblivion on his games console, and offers Abby to join him and claims it is widely held as a classic, but Abby suspects it is actually only popular among cult fans. Abby then notices that the flat's thermostat has been raised to 34 degrees and asks Connor about this, and Connor claims that he raised the thermostat because Rex was looking chilly, as Rex laps a saucepan of water nearby. As Abby seems suspicious, Connor suggests that if they get too hot from having to raise the temperature they could take more of their clothes off despite already being half-naked. Abby dismisses her suspicions and turns to leave. As she does, Connor, who is in the middle of pouring himself coffee, tries to look her over while her back is turned, but Abby still seems to notice Connor is doing it and coldly tells Connor that he is dribbling from his open mouth; causing Connor to snap out of it and accidentally pour hot coffee on his hand.

Connor is playing an Xbox game at the sofa, when after apparently excellently defeating an enemy, he brings up the game's menu and looks at the saved game files to see how close his is to the lead. The game files indicate that Cole was in second place in the game when he last played. The sight of Cole's file saddens Connor, who looks over miserably at a photo of himself with Cole and Stephen. Abby then calls to Connor that she's about to leave for yoga, and Connor notes this as he resumes the game and asks her to call him if she "needs any help with [her] bending or stretching." Abby then arrives and instructs Connor to keep all windows shut to stop Rex escaping and to enter and leave the flat through one door as Connor continues playing the game. As Abby dresses and gets ready to leave for yoga, she jokingly questions Connor's knowledge of how long a week is, reminding him of how he said when he first moved into the flat that he'd only be staying a week and yet he still hasn't even planned on when to leave after a month. Connor claims while keeping his attention on the game that he's still looking for leads on possible new homes, but Abby seems convinced otherwise and then leaves. Rex then flies down onto the sofa beside Connor and watches him, and a confident Connor says to Rex that he's certain Abby likes him. On the game, Connor then reaches the objective.

At the golf course's hotel, the Special Forces have arrived and are evacuating the residents from the area. Claudia arrives and talks with Captain Ryan about sealing the area off. Claudia is unhappy to learn it has taken four hours to evacuate the entire golf course, and tells Ryan to get the perimeter sealed within one hour. Ryan tells Claudia that Andy's body is in the casualty clearance room of the hotel and there are no other known casualties, and Claudia tells Ryan to stay briefed, before heading over to Cutter and Stephen, who have just finished talking to a traumatised Jeff by an ambulance. Cutter relays to Claudia that whatever happened to Andy was completely over by the time Jeff found him, and Cutter himself is not completely certain yet that there is indeed an Anomaly and wants to see Andy's body to confirm a creature incursion. This upsets Claudia, who warns Cutter that Lester is losing patience with Cutter and the team, and that she personally wants to prove to Lester that they can fully rely on the team but Cutter is currently making that difficult. Cutter doesn't want Lester to remove the team and have the government take control of the Anomaly operation and asks Claudia to keep Lester under control if she wants to help, but Claudia refuses as she doesn't want to take sides. Claudia then heads off, leaving Cutter silent and worried.

At Abby's flat, Rex is playing with a cheese puff at the foot of the sofa as Connor continues playing the Xbox, deep into the game, when the phone rings and Connor goes to answer it. Connor jokingly responds to the call that it's Abby's love shack and he is the "Number one stud," before it comically turns out that the caller Connor has just said that to is Cutter. Before Connor can try to cover up what he first said about the stud and love shack to Cutter, Connor learns over the phone from Cutter about the new incursion. Connor subsequently gets dressed and quickly grabs the car keys and cases and rushes out the flat. As Connor leaves, Rex notices one of the windows has been left open. Outside, Connor unlocks Abby's car and gets in, and while he is getting a book in the car out, he fails to notice Rex flying around outside in the street and heading into the car's backseat.

Back at the golf course, in the hotel, a Special Forces soldiers closes up the room where Cutter and a horrified Claudia are looking at Andy's body. The medic with them notes that Andy's body has been practically torn apart, and Cutter notes that the flesh has been ripped from the body incredibly cleanly and there are no leftovers. A concerned Claudia asks Cutter if this brings him any closer to learning what creature may have been responsible, and Cutter notes that the creature responsible would have to be of immense savagery and power to do what it did to Andy in a matter of mere minutes, and that it is certain that this is indeed an Anomaly incursion and sets about finding the Anomaly.

Later, Cutter, Stephen and Abby are searching in a field across from the hotel, and Stephen notes that there are no tracks or other signs of a creature, but while there is no Anomaly visible anywhere, magnetic interference indicated by the compass indicates that there must be either an Anomaly very close or a pylon causing interference. Cutter has Stephen and Abby keep quiet while he steps forward and looks around the field and thinks. Cutter realises and points out to Abby and Stephen that it is far too quiet. The two listen with Cutter, and the trio realises that there isn't any birdsong whatsoever, indicating all the birds in the area have been frightened off. This makes Cutter wonder what would scare off all the birds, and he looks at the compass again and then realises something. Cutter tells Abby and Stephen that there is indeed an Anomaly here, and when Stephen asks where it is, he tells him and Abby that the three are standing directly beneath it. The trio then look up to see an Anomaly hanging in the air several meters directly above them. Stephen notes that this would mean that the predator that killed Andy has to be an aerial creature, and as Cutter wonders how they are supposed to isolate a creature in the skies, Stephen notices something large flying up in the sky nearby. Stephen tries to alert Cutter and Abby notices it as well, but Cutter isn't looking and doesn't notice the creature, and continues to wonder aloud about the creature. The flying creature then swoops down towards the trio, prompting Stephen and Abby to duck and push Cutter down to the ground with them, as the creature, a large pterodactyl, flies by overhead. Cutter, Abby and Stephen get back up and stare in amazement after the pterodactyl as it flies around through the air.

Elsewhere, Connor arrives in Abby's car at the entrance into the hotel area, which is guarded by the Special Forces. Connor shows them his ID and slightly boasts that it confirms he has access to all areas, and the Special Forces guards let him pass to the hotel. As Connor drives into the hotel's car park, one of the guards sees Rex in the car's rear-view window, leaving him shocked and confused. Connor parks Abby's car in the car park outside the hotel, and gets out and looks around at the golf course. When Connor tosses his coat back into Abby's car, he finds Rex on the car's roof, to his shock and surprise. Upon realising to himself Rex can escape into the country if agitated, Connor tries to soothe Rex and keep him calm and coerce the inquisitive Rex into going back into the car. When Connor sees that he can't coerce Rex into letting him put him back in Abby's car, he begins pleading with and begging Rex to just get back in the car for Connor's sake. When Rex begins fluttering his wings, Connor resorts to trying to grab him, but Rex flies off the car roof and into the golf course and towards the trees. An upset and frustrated Connor quickly and quietly thinks things through and then runs off towards the golf course after Rex.

Back at Cutter, Stephen and Abby, Cutter is getting a closer look at the pterodactyl as it flies up ahead in the skies, and identifies it as most likely being a Pteranodon. Abby questions if the Pteranodon could be the predator that killed Andy; Stephen believes the boot fits, but Cutter is less certain as Pteranodon ate fish and small reptiles, though Stephen thinks that this was probably just snacking among the Pteranodon species until larger prey such as humans were available. Up ahead, when the Pteranodon begins circling to Abby's intrigue, Stephen suggests that it may be looking for a roost; Cutter discredits this but notes that the creature is undoubtedly searching for something. Elsewhere, Connor follows Rex through the trees out onto the golf course and tries to catch him, getting tired and frustrated with Rex's games and evasions. Connor and Rex are on a part of the course approximately quarter a mile down from where Cutter, Abby and Stephen are, and Stephen just notices Connor down on the golf course and points him out to Cutter and Abby. As Connor reaches Rex, failing to notice the trio up the golf course who have seen them, Abby wonders what Connor is doing, but Cutter has noticed something else, more worrying, with the Pteranodon. The three notice that the Pteranodon is circling above and has its sights on where Connor is, and Stephen realises that it must be looking to attack and eat Connor as prey. Cutter, Abby and Stephen immediately begin calling out to Connor, and Connor notices their yells to him from the other end of the golf course, but remains unaware of the Pteranodon above or the danger and simply scolds Rex and claims he will not chase Rex any further.

Cutter immediately calls Ryan, Claudia and two Special Forces soldiers who are nearby on a golf goal, over. Back at Rex and Connor, Rex becomes agitated and tries to warn Connor, but Connor still doesn't notice the Pteranodon in the skies as it begins swooping down from behind towards him for the kill. Connor then turns and sees to his shock the approaching Pteranodon Rex is agitated about. Abby and Stephen scream at Connor to take shelter from the Pteranodon in the trees, and Rex and Connor immediately beginning running off down the golf course from the approaching Pteranodon. Ryan, Claudia and the Special Forces join up with Cutter, Stephen and Abby, and see the situation. They anxiously watch Connor continue running with Rex, as the Pteranodon descends to ground level with the two behind them and begins closing in. Claudia immediately orders Ryan to shoot the Pteranodon down and Ryan arms his gun, but Cutter opposes this, as he thinks none of this with the Pteranodon is certain or makes sense yet and doesn't want the creature to be unnecessarily killed. Claudia is flabbergasted at this and believes that Connor will be killed if they don't stop the Pteranodon now, and Abby is afraid and anxious for Connor and Stephen agrees with Claudia and feels it isn't worth the risk. Claudia orders Ryan to comply, which he does and prepares to fire.

Cutter quickly pushes Ryan as he fires, causing his shot to miss the Pteranodon as the creature continues its pursuit down the golf course after Rex and Connor. Ryan tries to shoot the Pteranodon again, but the creature is now out of range; leaving the team to helplessly watch the chase. Rex and Connor reach a small hill as the Pteranodon closes it on them, and just as the creature attacks, rex and Connor manage to leap down the hill to the ground, narrowly escaping the Pteranodon's attack. Connor is left thrilled and laughing on the ground from the rush of the experience with Rex chirping nearby, as the Pteranodon gives up and flies off. Claudia is furious with Cutter for saving the Pteranodon and convinced he has just jeopardised other human lives, but Cutter ignores her and notices Rex with Connor through his binoculars. When Cutter identifies Rex as Coelurosauravus, a frustrated Abby realises aloud that Connor let Rex escape the flat; which in turns alerts to the entire team that it is Rex and that Abby knows about it. Abby confesses to Cutter that she did indeed keep Rex after Rex came back from the past, and Claudia is left stressed and very upset with Abby over taking this matter with Rex into her own hands. Stephen also realises that Abby was keeping her flat so hot because she was harbouring Rex.

As a still-exhilarated and laughing Connor runs back up the golf course towards the team, unaware of the revelation of Rex to the team, Cutter tries to justify sparing the Pteranodon by pointing out they still can't verify for certain that it is indeed the predator, and Claudia snaps at Nick at this and the two begin arguing over whether or not Cutter is right for the Anomaly operation; until Stephen interrupts the argument by pointing out that the Pteranodon is still wounded from Ryan's shot at it and will therefore will have to find somewhere nearby to roost. Claudia gravely hopes to Stephen for the team's sakes that he is right, then heads off with Ryan and his soldiers. Stephen agrees more with Claudia about the Pteranodon, but Cutter is still insistent that they should confirm that the Pteranodon is indeed the predator before killing it; and when Stephen questions Cutter's certainty about that, Cutter snaps and yells that he isn't at all sure and actually fears he may have made a grave error. Connor, still oblivious to the current mood and the Rex revelation, reaches Cutter and cheers about his close shave with the Pteranodon, but Cutter half-ignores and snarls at Connor before heading off. Connor is confused about Cutter's bad mood and contempt, and when he looks to Abby about what's happened, she just glares angrily at Connor and goes off after Cutter. Abby goes to Cutter, and explains that she only harboured Rex because she didn't want Lester's scientists locking Rex up and experimenting on and abusing him, and she softly asks if she can still keep Rex after all this is over. Cutter momentarily thinks and sharply tells Abby to find Rex first. Cutter then heads off, and Abby seems at least slightly satisfied with his answer.

Elsewhere, the Pteranodon is flying around through stormy skies. Back at the golf course, in front of the hotel, Cutter is discussing the Pteranodon and notes that the creature's species hunted from and roosted at high-vantage points, and Stephen alerts Ryan that they must therefore look at all the high-vantage points within miles of the golf course. Ryan then receives an alert over the comms ad informs Stephen that a satellite image is now being sent to Stephen's computer. The image comes up and zooms down on the city, showing the Pteranodon on a high-rise rooftop. Cutter confirms to Ryan that they've located the Pteranodon, and Ryan identifies the high-rise as a nearby office block which should be closed for the weekend. Ryan and the Special Forces immediately get into their cars to drive off to the building, and as they do, Cutter sets with Stephen about getting there first if they are to capture the Pteranodon alive, and Stephen and Cutter get into their own car as Ryan and the Special Forces drive off.

Elsewhere, in the woods, Abby and Connor are searching around for Rex, and Connor is calling out to Rex like a master to a pet. Abby warns Connor that he won't get to leave until he finds Rex, and Connor tries to apologise for letting Rex escape, showing he is truly sorry for it. Abby remains furious with Connor for Rex escaping and about what might happen to Rex, then stresses to Connor to just find Rex.

In the city, Cutter, Stephen and Claudia drive up to and head out at the bottom of the tall office building, and despite Claudia feeling they should wait for Captain Ryan and his men, the trio head in. As the three head up through the office block's corridors, when Claudia learns that the rifle Stephen is using is a tranquiliser gun, she upset that Cutter is still taking chances to try and avoid killing the creature, as she adamantly wants the Pteranodon dead. Cutter doesn't care and is still fixed on doing things his way, and tries to explain to Claudia that they're in unknown territory with the creatures and that killing them is not the solution to their problems. Claudia thinks it over, and decides that Cutter and Stephen have until Ryan and the Special Forces arrive to capture the Pteranodon alive their way, and they only have one shot at it. Cutter and Stephen immediately continue on up the office block with Claudia following, and as they do, Cutter and Stephen both admit to each-other that neither of them were convinced Claudia would go for Cutter's pleas.

Up on the building's rooftop, the Pteranodon is roosting on the ledge, looking over the city landscape. Cutter, Stephen and Claudia arrive on the roof, and Stephen and Cutter climbs up to the level of the roof where the Pteranodon is. Stephen tries to tranquilise the creature from behind while it is off-guard, but the Pteranodoon sees them and immediately flies away off the roof. As Claudia climbs up onto the roof level, Cutter and Stephen head closer to the ledge to see where the Pteranodon flew off to, and the two turn to see the creature return, flying into the air high above the building roof and to a far distance. As the trio on the roof watch the Pteranodon flying in the distance in the skies, Cutter notes the creature's red crest and comes up with an idea of how to draw the Pteranodon back into range. Cutter immediately asks Claudia for her red shirt, to her flabbergast and refusal, hoping to use the shirt's reddish colour to draw the Pteranodon back, as Claudia insists her shirt's colour isn't like red and won't work. Cutter ignores Claudia's insistence and heads further off across the roof. Claudia gives in and is about to take off her shirt, when Stephen realises to Claudia's relief that he has a red shirt that Cutter can use instead in exchange for a favour from Claudia. Cutter heads over to the nearby aerial mast on the roof and pulls a metal pole out.

Back at the office block's bottom floor, the Special Forces have arrived, and the soldiers rush into an elevator and comically waited tensed up inside as it takes them up through the building. Back on the roof, Cutter has tied Stephen's red vest to the pole from the mast to make a makeshift red flag, and once Stephen has put his other top back on and is armed and ready, Cutter whistles out to the Pteranodon to get the creature's attention. The creature hears and flies straight towards the rooftop, as a watching Claudia begins to lose her cool. Cutter begins waving his makeshift red flag to keep the Pteranodon's attention, as Stephen aims and fires at the approaching creature. The wind catches the tranquiliser dart and so it misses the Pteranodon, and Stephen reloads and tries again as the creature gets closer through the skies to the rooftop. The dart misses the Pteranodon again because it keeps moving around, and Cutter is getting less patient.

As the Special Forces on the office block's lower levels begin making their way up towards the roof, back on the rooftop, Stephen reloads his tranquiliser gun for one last shot, and aims as the Pteranodon swoops closer to the rooftop. As Cutter begins yelling at Stephen to shoot when Stephen waits and aims, Claudia also becomes less composed as the creature approaches. Soon, as the Pteranodon dives straight towards the rooftop and is almost at it, Claudia loses her calm and runs off across the roof, when Stephen fires as the Pteranodon is just atop him and Cutter. The Pteranodon immediately collapses onto the rooftop and slides across it straight at the fleeing Claudia as she is backed into a roof corner. But just before the tranquilised Pteranodon reaches Claudia, its slide across the roof slows to a halt and it fully passes out from the tranquiliser. As Claudia stands frozen in the corner with the unconscious Pteranodon, Cutter is angry with Stephen because of how Stephen's waiting almost endangered Claudia. When Cutter decides that they will take the tranquilised Pteranodon back to the golf course and send it back through the Anomaly, Claudia snaps at Cutter and declares that she won't give him any more second chances and is going to take charge of making the decisions. But before Claudia can say anything else, the Pteranodon whips its head in its unconsciousness, directly hitting Claudia and knocking her out cold on the spot.


	15. Chapter 15: 2 weeks later part 2

**No ones P.O.V.**

Back at the golf course, in the trees, Connor is calling out for Rex, hoping Rex will recognise his voice and come to him, as an angry and unimpressed Abby chides Connor for thinking Rex will respond like a dog or send out a distress call. Abby gives up on Connor's attempts to bring Rex out, when Connor hears and spots Rex passing by nearby through the trees. Connor alerts Abby, and the two run off through the trees after Rex as the latter heads deeper into the woods. Back at Claudia, she is unconscious from when the tranquilised Pteranodon hit her, and hooked up to an oxygen tank. Claudia begins awakening and seeing when the Pteranodon was flying towards her from on the office block rooftop, until she suddenly reacts with shock and fear by jumping off the bed she is on and disconnecting herself from the oxygen tank, stepping on and squashing open a blood bag from her IV in the process. Claudia is back at the golf course, in the hotel, with Cutter nearby. Claudia is disoriented from the hit to her head by the Pteranodon, as Cutter comes over to help her and assures her she's safe and in the hotel. A Special Forces medic then comes over to pick up the split-open blood bag and see how Claudia is doing. The medic decides that while they'll do some tests at hospital, he believes it's no more than a mild concussion, then decides to go to get more oxygen supply from the ambulance just to be safe, and leaves. Cutter then begins checking Claudia's eyes with a small light, and admits to her that he doesn't know at all what he's doing and is doing it based on what he's seen on ER TV. Cutter asks how Claudia is feeling, and she has no headache or nausea. But she notes that there's one thing that seems odd: she can't see anything. This seems to worry both of the two. Meanwhile, a puddle of blood from the split blood bag remains on the floor nearby, and the nearby doors out onto the hotel grounds blow open, letting the scent outside.

Back in the golf course's trees, a happy and thrilled Connor and Abby finally find and reach Rex at a log. However, Connor and Abby's happy mood turns to concern when they notice Rex has seen something which is frightening him into cowering behind the log. Connor and Abby then hear something squawking hoarsely up in the trees behind them, and the two turn to see dozens of malicious-seeming, bat-like pterosaurs - Anurognathus - roosting up in the trees. The roosting Anurognathus smell something and begins flying down from the trees. Connor and Abby quickly duck as the Anurognathus swarm off through the trees around and over them. At another part of the golf course, Captain Ryan and the Special Forces are guarding the unconscious and wrapped-up Pteranodon with Stephen. Ryan is hesitant about Stephen going close to and examining the creature as he fears it could abruptly awaken without warning, but Stephen assures Ryan that the Pteranodon will be unconscious for hours more yet. The noises of the Pteranodon defecating are then heard from in the bag containing it, to Ryan's sarcastic repulse, but Stephen is excited by the dung as he notes that a lot can be revealed from creatures' dung. Stephen takes a piece from the dung out from in the bag containing the Pteranodon, and checks it by tasting it with his tongue, repulsing the soldiers into looking away and grossing a sarcastic Ryan out. Stephen seems to have noticed something from the dung's taste, then sucks the rest of his finger, noticeably freaking Ryan out further. Back in the woods, the Anurognathus have all flown off, leaving a stunned and slightly dishevelled Connor and Abby recovering on the ground with Rex.

Back at the hotel, Cutter explains to Claudia that the reason she can't see is because her concussion from when the Pteranodon hit her is causing temporary blindness, but she should soon recover. Cutter asks Claudia if she can see anything now, and Claudia can now loosely makes out some shapes and see a few colours, and it's improving. Cutter notes that Claudia's sight will be fully back quite soon. Cutter then gets a phone call from Stephen and answers it. Stephen tells Cutter over the phone from at the unconscious Pteranodon that Cutter's hunch about the Pteranodon being innocent was in fact correct, as the creature's dung has no human remains from Andy the golfer, just small reptiles and fish bones; and Cutter realises that when the Pteranodon pursued Connor and Rex on the golf course, it was actually after Rex and not Connor. Before Cutter can say more with Stephen, his phone's battery starts to run out, forcing him to call Stephen back. Claudia has worked out from the phone call that the Pteranodon has been confirmed innocent, and jokingly suggests paying the creature compensation for suspecting it. However, Cutter is concerned about something that the creature's innocence implies - if the Pteranodon didn't kill the golfer, then that means that the real predator is still out there. This worries Claudia as well.

Out by the hotel grounds, the Special Forces medic is alone getting oxygen supplies out of an ambulance there, when he hears distant, hoarse squawks rapidly approaching. The Anurognathus then appear in the air above the medic and swarm down at him, and the medic's screams of agony are heard. Back at the hotel, Cutter and Claudia hear the medic's screams outside, which leave them both stunned and increasingly worried. Cutter begins closing all the doors out to the hotel grounds in the room, and asks for Claudia's phone, but she reveals she's left it in her car outside. Cutter sets about finding a way to get to a phone as he shuts all the doors to the outside in the room, then assures a frightened Claudia that they will be safe if they keep all the hotel's doors and windows shut. Cutter then hears a gust of wind from down the hotel hall out behind him, and turns to see that the hotel's front doors down the hall are wide open. Cutter immediately rushes down the hallway from the room where Claudia is, straight to the front doors, and slams them shut.

Outside, the Anurognathus are swarming around above the hotel. Back inside, after checking that all the ways in are shut, Cutter heads back to Claudia, and tells her that he has to go to find a phone in the hotel to call for help, but she'll be fine by herself because the creatures can't get into the hotel. Cutter then heads off into the hotel in search of a phone, leaving Claudia in the emergency room, alone. Elsewhere in the hotel, Cutter finds a phone, but it is disabled before he can make a call when one of the Anurognathus outside bites through the phone line. Back in the emergency room, and increasingly frightful Claudia slowly makes her way around the puddle of blood left from the split blood bag towards the room's closed doors that lead out to the hotel grounds, trying to tell herself it will be alright. As the Anurognathus' shadows are glimpsed flying around outside, Claudia reaches the door and pulls at it, and is deeply relieved to find that it can't be opened from outside. However, Claudia's relief is cut short when swarms of the Anurognathus suddenly begin pushing and hitting and snarling against the glass doors from outside, trying to break in; frightening Claudia into falling backwards from the door and slipping in the blood on the floor.

As a blood-covered Claudia tries to get up off the floor, several of the Anurognathus outside find a way in by smashing through the small window panes on the doors, and one of them manages to get in this way. Cutter then returns and helps Claudia up, and upon seeing the Anurognathus breaking in, he and Claudia flee out the room as the Anurognathus fly after them, closing the emergency room door behind them to stop the creatures following further. Out in the hotel's hallway, Claudia notes how the Anurognathus just seemed to go crazy, and the two then realise to their horror that the creatures can smell blood and are being drawn by the blood left from the split blood bag that Claudia stepped on when she awoke. Cutter notes to the two's horror that they both have some of the blood on their clothes from when Claudia slipped in the blood and Cutter helped her up, and so Cutter takes his bloody jacket off, and Claudia is forced to also take off her bloody shirt, to her chagrin. Cutter and Claudia then see the Anurognathus outside swarming over and trying to break through the hotel's domed glass skylight directly above them. The skylight shatters just as Cutter and Claudia move out from under it, and the Anurognathus swarm down into the hotel as Cutter and Claudia rush into a nearby lounge and lock themselves in from the creatures. Cutter decides to Claudia that their only hope of getting help is for Cutter to go out to the ambulance to call for help on the ambulance's phone. Cutter assures Claudia she'll be safe in the hotel lounge, but she is concerned about Cutter. Cutter is hopeful he'll be able to make it to the ambulance. Cutter then passionately kisses Claudia, tells her he'll be back, and then leaves.

Cutter heads out into the hotel grounds and begins making his way across the empty grounds towards the ambulance, when he hears something an sees the Anurognathus swarming from the hotel straight at him. Cutter runs across to the ambulance from the Anurognathus as the creatures gives hot pursuit, and Cutter reaches the ambulance and seals himself inside from the Anurognathus as the creatures swarm around and try to get into the ambulance. Elsewhere on the golf course, Connor and Abby emerge from the trees with Rex, and see the Anurognathus swarming around the hotel in the distance to their horror. Back in the ambulance, as the Anurognathus continue to swarm around outside the ambulance, Cutter makes a call on the ambulance phone, and tells Ryan of the Anurognathus situation and that the creatures have trapped Claudia in the hotel. Ryan tells Cutter he'll get there, to Cutter's impatience and frustration before Cutter ends the call. As the Anurognathus swarm around outside the ambulance, inside, Cutter finds a lighter and tries to come up with an idea, then begins looking around in the ambulance for something. Cutter searches through the ambulance's supplies, until he finds a bottle of flammable gas, which seems to give him an idea. Outside, the Anurognathus abandon the ambulance and begin swarming back towards the hotel.

Claudia's P.O.V.

Back in the hotel's lounge, Im waiting silent and alone as I hear the Anurognathus outside returning from their squawks. I then notices the Anurognathus' squawks coming from the chimney and ash falling down it into the fireplace, causing me to back away to the wall as the Anurognathus squawks from up the chimney descend closer. One lone Anurognathus finally emerges down the chimney into the lounge as I back away. I grab a golf club from a nearby rack as the Anurognathus takes flight around the lounge, and i decided to confront it and wait through my blurred vision for the creature to get close enough. When I can just about make out the Anurognathus flying straight for me, I swings the club and successfully bats the creature away. However, my victory is short-lived when dozens more Anurognathus swarm out down the chimney into the lounge.

No ones P.O.V.

Back at the ambulance, there are now no Anurognathus in sight, and Cutter cautiously unseals and gets out of the ambulance with the lighter and the gas bottle, moving slowly and cautiously keeping his eyes alert for any signs of the Anurognathus. Cutter is trying to light the gas hissing from the bottle with the lighter, when he spots a lone Anurognathus flying from the hotel at him. Cutter tries harder and more panickedly to light the gas as the Anurognathus gets closer, until when the creature almost reaches him, Cutter succeeds and uses the bottle of alight gas as a makeshift flamethrower, burning and killing the Anurognathus. Cutter kicks the Anurognathus' burnt remains away in disgust, then begins slowly making his way back towards the hotel, while keeping a lookout for any more Anurognathus.

Claudia's P.O.V.

Back in the hotel's lounge, I'm struggling to try and fend the Anurognathus swarm off with the golf club, until one of the creatures manages to reach me and send me falling to the floor. I get back up and continue to struggle against the Anurognathus swarm, as, unnoticed to me, a door behind her opens and someone comes through into the lounge. The person grabs me from behind and I say shocked

"Who's that?"

"Cole Cutter"

"Cole what the hell are you doing here"

"Do you really want to talk about that now"

"Good point"

"Let's go"

Cole then led me out through the door she came in and closes the door behind them.

Cole then leads me down the hotel's staff corridors; after a couple of minutes I say

"Cole I can manage from here"

"Okay. See you then"

Cole then ran off leaving me on but after hearing a squawk from the Anurognathus I called out

"Cole!"

"Only kidding. Take my hand."

I grabbed h hand and we ran further down the hall. own but then hurriedly leads her on. Before the Anurognathus can catch up with us, Cole seals the two of us in a kitchen from the creatures. Cole decides that with the predators cornering them and time short, she'll have to take matters into their own hands rather than wait for the team and the Special Forces to arrive. Cole leads me to the kitchen's emergency exit door and instructs me to get out through the exit when she tells her to but before she left she asked me something.

"If this doesn't work out, give this to my dad"

she handed me a letter, I out it in my back pocket and said

"nothing's going wrong"

Cole then turned on the kitchen's gas ovens and places a metal jug in the microwave. I then realises that Cole is going to blow the hotel up with a gas explosion to stop the Anurognathus. Cole then says

"Keep calm Claudia" she then opens the kitchen door to let the Anurognathus swarm in. Cole gives me the signal and i immediately head out through the kitchen's exit door and closes it behind me.

Coles P.O.V.

Once the entire swarm is in the kitchen, I turn on the microwave with the jug in it and flee further into the hotel from the impending explosion. The electrical reaction with the metal jug in the microwave makes it explode, igniting the gas and blowing up the building and the Anurognathus swarm with it as I flee through the coridors from the flames.

No ones P.O.V.

Back out in the hotel grounds, Cutter kills another Anurognathus with his makeshift torch, but the flames run out. As he tries to relight it the hotel explodes. Outside the burning hotel in the aftermath of the explosion, Cutter is fearful that Claudia is dead from the explosion, when Claudia arrives in the grounds behind him, dishevelled but unharmed. Cutter is relieved to see Claudia is okay, and is shocked when she reveals that Cole arrived and saved her. A shocked Cutter asks where Cole is, and Claudia confirms that Cole has vanished "like a ghost", as usual. Ryan and the Special Forces then arrive, and Ryan is flabbergasted upon seeing what has happened to the hotel and silently asks if Cutter did that, and earning from Cutter sarcastic comment about how he couldn't do that with just a bottle of gas and a lighter.

Elsewhere, in the golf course's more rural parts, Connor is looking silently by himself out at a pond. Abby then arrives and comes over but doesn't so much as look at Connor. Connor tries to lighten the mood by noting how everything ultimately worked out, but Abby is still angry with him as it still wasn't him who repaired the damage he caused by releasing Rex. Abby is about to leave, when Connor goes over to and tries to apologise to her for his lack of responsibility in letting Rex out. Abby doesn't reply and appears unforgiving, and Connor then sadly gives up and declares he'll move out of her flat in a day. Abby believes Connor will have nowhere else to go if he moves out, and Connor first tries to be optimistic that he'll be fine whatever happens before silently realising Abby is right. Abby somewhat awkwardly and reluctantly decides to give Connor a second chance and let him stay at the flat, on the conditions that he make her all weekend breakfast, wash up the clothes for a month, and never leave his dirty underwear on the bathroom floor again. Connor is thrilled that he can still stay with Abby at the flat, and Abby notes as Connor ecstatically hugs her that she must be out of her mind but has found that she likes having Connor around. Connor is stunned and a little suspecting when he learns Abby likes having him around, before Abby tries to rule out intimacy by bluntly stating she likes him as a friend. Connor asks if Abby was not serious about the washing-up part, and Abby confirms that she was and Connor decides it's harsh but reasonable. Abby then heads off, with Connor smiling happily to himself and following.

Later, back at the Anomaly, the team and the Special Forces are at the Anomaly with the unconscious Pteranodon, when Connor warns that they should hurry up with getting the Pteranodon back through as the Anomaly seems to be close to fading. Claudia then gets a mobile phone call from Lester, but cancels instead of answer it. Cutter notices Claudia not answering Lester to tell him about the events of the incursion, and Claudia says that she will pretend her phone's battery died and that Lester will therefore never know about the events that transpired today. Cutter is touched Claudia has chosen to side with him, and she claims it is only a one-off against her judgment. Stephen then gives Cutter a large red flag, and Cutter gets onto a mechanical lift which lifts him up to level with the Anomaly in the air. Stephen confirms with Cutter that he is confident from the Pteranodon's dung that it won't eat him, and jokes that if he's wrong then at least Cutter will always be remembered as the first ever human to be eaten by a Pteranodon. Stephen, Connor and Ryan then go to and unbind the Pteranodon as the creature awakens. Upon waking and recovering, the Pteranodon gets up and takes flight, but is flying off in the wrong direction. The team try to call the creature back, and as Cutter waves his red flag from up on the lift by the Anomaly, the Pteranodon begins to turn around and fly back. Cutter confidently waves his red flag, and as the Pteranodon glides over the team towards him, Claudia admits that the creature is indeed beautiful. The Pteranodon flies at Cutter's red flag, and glides over him, straight back into the Anomaly, and the Anomaly then closes behind the creature. Cutter bids the Pteranodon a safe journey, as the team all cheer and celebrate on the ground.


	16. Chapter 16: The Future Predator part 1

Nicks P.O.V.

After the hotel explosion a week ago Claudia gave me a letter and said it was from Cole, the letter read

Hey Dad,

Look I know that you're probably mad that I left with mum but I could tell that she was holding something back. Something that she wasn't going to tell you under any circumstances. So I left with her to learn all I can about the anomalies and I am, slowly but surely I'm learning a lot about them. I hope Claudia is okay and sorry for blowing up the hotel. Tell Stephen I miss him and I hope to come back soon.

I love you dad and I am so sorry for leaving the way I did.

Cole xx

Reading that I realized that Cole is more like Helen then she'd like to admit but it will be helpful if she can learn about the anomalies, it could save us a lot of time and help Connor perfect his anomaly detection device. The only problem is if Cole spends to much time with Helen that she will become exactly like her and that's what we don't need.

So currently I'm in my office playing gold with some animal bones as clubs. As I took a shot, the ball went straight into the cup that's when someone said

"Shot!" I turned and said

"Claudia Brown"

"Having fun"

"Yes. Would you like to sit down".she came over and sat on the chair next to my desk.

"I've been thinking about Cole. She saved my life. It was much less complicated when she was here"

"Yeah I gave up trying to predict Coles actions after she became a teenager"

"Maybe she left as a cry for help"

"Counseling would have worked"

"Nick Cutter talking about his feelings, I don't think so"

"Try me then. Ask me anything"

"Okay then. Are you still mad at her?"

"Ask me another one"

"Coward" I got up to grab another animal bone and then I said

"Was there any purpose to your visit or is my relationship with my daughter the only item on the agenda"

"If we're going to defend ourselves more effectively then we've got to something more than just react. We've got to discover why the anomalies are opening and where the next one will appear"

"Well it may be possible to do that"

"Are you going to tell me how"

"I've got ideas but I don't have any proof. I need more time"

"Fine how does Monday morning sound"

"You're spoiling me now". I said that after I took a shot and missed, she then rubbed the bridge of her nose and I said

"You okay?"

"I just haven't been sleeping properly. Bad dreams"

"By the way, when those things were attacking us. You kissed me and last time I check we broke up when I found out your wife was still alive"

"I know"

"You do know that sexual harassment is a serious disciplinary offense in the civil service" she then left and I returned to my game of animal bone golf.

No ones P.O.V.- original anomaly site

After the original incident the certain area of the Forest of Dean was cordoned off for the publics safety. But one day the anomaly reopened again and something came through. Alarms were sounded and the guards posted there came running. When he heard noises coming for the fence he ran to it and saw that a massive hole had been created by something unbelievable strong. The soldier then called for back up. Little did the guards know that something was watching him through the trees using echolocation.

Stephens P.O.V.

We've been in the forest for about 20 minutes and I've already looked around for a trail but I couldn't find one so I walked back to Nick and said

"No trail, footprints, nothing"

"Are you sure you didn't miss anything"

"If there's anything out there we would have found it by now" Ryan then said

"It must have gone back". Nick wasn't so sure, he turned to face the anomaly and scratched the back of his neck.

Abby's P.O.V.

Currently me and Connor are sat around the table in my flat and I'm teaching him how to talk to girls.

"Ok. I'm a girl in a bar, tell me I look nice"

"You look nice"

"Make it more personal"

"I personally feel you look nice"

"A compliment, be more specific"

"Well you've got lovely legs and fantastic..." he said that last part gesturing to my chest area so I cut him off

"Yeah not that specific. Small talk, flirty just not to flirty"

"I've seen you here before hasn't I"

"Oh that's good"

"Oh your glass is empty, let me buy you another one"

"I'll have a mojito, please"

"Two mojitos, coming up bar man" he clicked his fingers and pointed at Rex. We laughed and then he ruined it

"Who do you think would win in a fight between Wolverine and Spider-Man"

"I said flirty not nerdy"

"That's entry level comic books Abby. It live it's fun"

"But girls don't talk comic books. If you want to be more successful with women you've got to learn to compromise a bit, find out what they like."

"And pretend I'm interested, until they want to snog me. No I get it, but Abby, to be honest I think I can talk to women, I talk to you don't i"

"We're pals"

"Yeah I mean you can..." he tried doing his tie but was failing so I said

"Come here". He moved closed so I could do his tie and then continued speaking

"You can fancy someone who's a pal, can't ya". My phone then went off.

"It's the zoo somethings up I've got to go"

Claudia's P.O.V.

Currently I'm at the home office trying to convince Lester to keep Nick on the team

"He made a mistake about Helen, he should have told us about her. He was under enormous pressure. He predicted the fault lines and he's been correct about the anomalies reoccurring, that's not just luck. If there's anyone that can help predict and contain these things it's him"

"How close is he to an answer"

"I don't know he couldn't say yet"

"One day soon an anomaly is going to open and thousands, maybe millions of these creatures are going to pour through, let's just hope he's got an answer for us by then"

Stephens P.O.V.

We haven't been back from the forest for that long and currently I'm walking through campus on my way back to the lap. When I feel as if someone's behind me, so I stop and turn but no ones there.

"In most eras of the worlds history, you'd be dead by now"

"Helen, what the hell are you doing here and where's Cole?"

"All this urban living's made human beings such lazy animals. Second rate hearing, no sense of smell, no worthwhile instincts"

"Well man has no predators, we have nothing to be afraid of except each other"

"Well that used to be the case, but times are changing, aren't they, Stephen?"

"What do you want?"

"A cold beer would be nice" she smiled up at me and I took her to the campus bar.

We got to the bar and got are drinks. When we sat down I got straight to the point

"Why don't you just tell me what you want?"

"A meeting with Nick and Lester. Tomorrow morning at 11:00 here" she handed me a piece of paper and continued speaking

"No armed thugs, no ambushes. They'll want to hear what I've got to say"

"They don't trust you"

"I don't trust them, either. But this is serious. Three people have disappeared in the last 48 hours. I know what happened to them"

"Creature. What kind?"

"The same kind that tried to rip Coles arm off"

"What?!. Is she alright"

"She's alive for now"

"Have you taken her to a hospital?"

"They'll ask questions about what happened. Just tell Lester that she'll need to see medics"

"Okay I'll tell them"

"It's good to see you again, Stephen. You know, you were always one of my better students. Not the very brightest maybe, nut so full of idealism and integrity"

"Thanks" she then left to go God knows where

Abby's P.O.V.

I had to come into work because one of he lions was missing, and for some reason I decided to bring Connor along.

"See, at first we thought the lions had been fighting but none of them are wounded. Then we realized we'd lost one"

"You out it down somewhere, forgot where you left it. It happens all the time". He then noticed something on the ground where we were standing, blood. We crouched down next to it and Connor said

"Looks like something got wounded" he took out a sample kit and took a swab of the blood and then I said

"Could it be a creature attack?"

"I don't know you need... There's no other proof, is there? All you you've got is a missing lion. Maybe it just ran away to join the circus"

"Oh, whatever"

Connor left about an hour ago and I'm currently spreading out food for the elephants when I feel something watching me. I looked around but couldn't see anything, that's when the elephants came over. But I still had the feeling that something else was watching me.

The next day I headed to the home office and everyone was acting a bit tense. I joined us with Connor and said

"Stephen was acting really strange this morning. Something weird is going on"

"What's new? Oh, I never said. The blood analysis came back from the lab. ,oat of it was from a lion, but some of it was from a bat"

"Bats get everywhere"

"Yeah, but it was some really weird DNA. They said they'd never seen anything like it before."

"What does that mean, then?

"I don't know. Yet" I then got my phone out of my pocket and he said

"Are you expecting a call?"

"My boss. No ones seem him since yesterday. They found his stuff, but there's no sign of him. He's just vanished. I better get back to the zoo"

Nicks P.O.V.

Stephen has just told us about Helens request for a meeting and let's just say Lester isn't happy about it. So he asked me

"Are you sure you don't already know what this is about?"

"What does that mean?"

"She's your wife. You join the dots" Claudia then stepped in

"Remember Cole saved my life, we should give Helen some credit for that. And if she does know something about the disappearances..."

"That's a police matter. There's no evidence of a creature involvement" Stephen then said

"Yet"

"Okay. Fine. We'll do it her way. But if this turns out to be another of her manipulative little schemes, the deals off and she goes straight back on the wanted list" he then got into a lift.

11:00

We just got to the location and so did Helen. But we also expected to see Cole, she wasn't with Helen. She came over to us and Stephen said

"Where's Cole?". Helen didn't say anything she just avoided eye contact with me so I said

"Helen, what's happened to Cole?"

"Look I told you she was alive because if I didn't you wouldn't have come"

"she's dead"

"Yeah, we were in the Cretaceous, walking along a cliff and she lost her footing. I'm sorry Nick". Claudia then said

"No but I saw her a week ago, she saved my life"

"We came back for supplies, she died a few days after. Now, you have a serious creature incursion. A highly evolved ambush predator. Intelligent, adaptable and ruthless" Helens trying to keep are minds off Cole. Claudia then spoke again

"If there was a creature on the loose, we'd know about it"

"At least three people have disappeared in the last few days"

"Missing"

"Killed. The creature has a lair somewhere nearby. It's taken them for food" I then said

"Now how do you know that"

"Because it nearly got me too" Stephen then asked

"What is it?"

"It has no name"

"Then which era is it from?"

"It doesn't come from any era, Nick. At least not one that can be identified yet"

"Im sorry I don't understand"

"Yes you do Nick. You know it had to happen one day. You've know it ever since you first stepped into the past"

"The future?. Are you saying we're being attacked by a creature from the future?"

"I've seen a lot of amazing creatures but nothing like this one. It has human levels of intelligence and an almost supernatural ability to stalk it's prey. It could be right here now watching us and we'd never know"

"If it's so clever, how did you see it?"

"I discovered it in the Permian, just after a kill. It was feeding and its defenses were down"

"What does it look like?"

" like a great ape, but bigger, faster. And a lot more agile"

"Hold on, what makes you so certain that it's not some lost species that's just disappeared from the evolutionary record?"

"No Nick. It's not like any creature from the Permian or any other prehistoric era. The only possible explanation is that it strayed through a future anomaly into the Permian and then on it ours" Lester then said

"You know. I'm really beginning to regret not staying in management consultancy. So now it's the future as well. And apparently we can't do a damn thing about it. How did it get here"

"I have no idea. It was only when I got back I found out it was on the loose. Obviously my first thought was to do as much as I could to help, for Coles sake"

"How public spirited of you. Where can we contact you?"

"At my house. Of course"

Helen gave me a grin and Claudia just a concerned look.


	17. Chapter 17: The Future Predator part 2

Nicks P.O.V.

After talking to Lester I took Helen back home. She sat down on the sofa and began undoing her boots as she said

"You could have redecorated"

"I like it"

"Nick just ask me the question that you want to ask. I can tell you want to know something"

"Was she happy with you?"

"Yeah she was but she missed you"

"Why did she go?"

"She said that she needed a change. The day I lost her, I felt guilty. I out the idea in her head to leave with me, it's my fault that she's gone"

"Are you 100% sure that she didn't make it?"

"She fell from a 100 foot cliff, Nick. I pretty sure she didn't make it, she couldn't have".

After Helen said that another voice then said

"Funny thing about that, I did make it" I looked at the door and leaning against the door frame was Cole, and she looked like crap. She was holding her right arm close to her and I swear I can see blood on her hand and in her hair. I stood up in shock and said

"How are you here?"

"Why don't you tell him what really happened, Helen" Helen didn't say anything so Cole then spoke again

"What nothing to say. Alright then I'll tell him. I didn't fall of that cliff, I was pushed by the person I once thought of as my mother" my heart stopped when Cole said that, I turned to Helen with anger boiling up inside of me, she could see I was angry so she stood up and said

"Well you only came with me to spy on me, I felt betrayed"

"So that's an excuse for pushing your own daughter of a cliff"

"Well there's that and you learned something that I didn't want you to know. And by the look on your face you can't remember what it was". Cole took a step forward but then stumbled slightly, I caught her and she was definitely in pain. I then said to Helen

"If you come anywhere near my daughter again so help me god I will kill you"

"She my daughter as well Nick" Cole then spoke

"That's the thing Helen, my mother died when I was nine. And I don't miss her one bit so when this thing is over I never want to see you again". Helen looked a bit hurt but only for a second. She sat back down on the couch and I took Cole out of the room and into the kitchen.

I sat her down and got a first aid kit out if the cupboard, I went back over to her and told her to take her jacket off. She hesitated but did take it off slowly, when it was off her arm was all scrapped up and bleeding a lot.

"You should be at a hospital"

"I know but they'll ask a lot of questions, ones that we can't answer"

"Good point, this is really going to hurt"

"Probably not as much as it did when it happened". I poured some rubbing alcohol onto a cloth and then began cleaning her arm. She flinched a bit and was in considerable pain so I said something to get her mind of it

"You are going to have a lovely scar when this heels"

"I figured. Look I'm sorry about leaving the way I did. I should have told you"

"No, Im sorry. I know why you left, you tried to find out more about the anomalies and you did save Claudia"

"What"

"Last week you save Claudia brown form a pack of Anurognathus. Don't you remember"

"I remember Helen pushing me off the cliff but before that I only remember being at the stadium".

"So those weeks you were away, you can't remember any of it"

"Not a thing. I must have found something important out"

She flinched again as I began wrapping bandages around her entire arm.

"Sorry. Does anyone else know you're here"

"No, I only just got back. And instinctively came home"

"I'm glad you came back. And I can't wait to see Stephens face when he see you"

"Oh god that should be interesting"

"Oh by the way, happy birthday for a week ago" she smiled at me and that's when I said

"All done. That should be okay for now, keep it dry and try not to use your arm that much"

"How do you put up with me"

"Practice. If you have a shower then cover your arm with something, I think we've still got that water proof thing that you had to use when you broke you leg a few years ago"

"Thank you dad"

"You're my daughter I'm always going to be here" she stood up and hugged me, I hugged back straight away. When we pulled apart Cole went upstairs to have a shower and change into some clean clothes and I went to my office to finish off some work. About 30 minutes later Cole came skipping down the stars in a pair of black jogging bottoms and a blue vest top and her hair was wet, she came into the office and looked at what I was doing.

"What you doing?"

"I'm thinking about how we are going to explain to Lester and Claudia that you're alive. And I was attempting to think of a way to track down this future predator"

"Fun"

"Not really. Multiple people have died because of this predator, including Abby's boss so we really need to find it". I then noticed Helen leaning against the door frame, she then said

"Are you two going to ignore me the whole time or what?". Cole stood up straight and just glared at Helen, I then said

"Helen you attempted to kill Cole. So you're not exactly our favorite person right now. What were you trying to hide anyway"

"Just plan on what I would do if I found the anomaly that lead to the future"

"What was your plan". Cole then said

"Don't bother Dad. She attempted to kill me because of it, so she won't tell you". Just as Cole said that there was a knock at the door. I got up and opened it revealing Stephen.

"Hey Stephen" I glanced at Cole and she had froze.

"Hey. What's that look for" Helen then walked past me and went back to the living room leaving Cole frozen in the office, I looked at her and then decided to say

"Stephen, there's something you should know"

"Okay?"

"Actually it will be easier to show you". I stepped aside, he came in and followed my gaze to the office. I closed the door and just stood there waiting for one of them to say something.

Coles P.O.V.

When dad let Stephen in he followed dads gaze to me. He just stood there looking at me in astonishment. After a couple of minutes he stepped forward and said

"I thought you were dead. How can you be here"

"I'm not that easy to kill. But I did get severely injured" I placed my hand on my bandaged arm. Then I looked at dad and said

"Can you give us a second in private". He just smiled and then went off somewhere else. I slowly stepped forward until I was standing in front of Stephen and that's when I said

"Sorry I left without saying anything". I could see tears forming in his eyes and he then pulled me into a hug. He had one hand around my waist and the other was stroking my wet hair, my head was resting against his cheek and he said

"I thought you were dead". I could here the sadness in his voice mixed with relief and happiness. Tears then formed in my eyes as I turned my head to rest it in the crook of his neck, I then said

"I am so sorry"

"How long have you been back?"

"Not long"

"What happened to your arm?" I didn't say anything thing I just moved closer to him. The memories of what happened flashed through my mind and the tears began to flow, I just buried my face into his neck even more.

"Hey, it okay. You don't have to tell me what happened if it's to painful. I'm just glad you came back home, back to me". I let out a tiny laughed and said

"There are other reasons I came back, you know"

"Yeah but I hope I was one of the top reasons". I pulled away so I was looking at him as I said

"Definitely one of the top reasons. Now are you going to keep talking or do something else". He smiled at me and then kissed me sweetly and softly. When we finished he put his arm around my shoulders and we joined dad in the living room.

When we entered the room I didn't even look at Helen, but that was short lived when dad said

"I just remembered we've got to be at the Home Office in about and hour. Cole are you going to be alright here"

"Yeah but that doesn't matter I'm coming with you"

"No. Cole you're really injured and need rest"

"What I need to do is help finish this so Helen can leave sooner rather than later"

"You're not giving up are you" I removed Stephens arm from around my shoulders and walked past him saying smugly

"You know me so well". I went upstairs to get change. I grabbed a pair of black jeans and a black tank top out of my draws and changed into them. When they were on a opened the rucksack that I had with my during my time away and pulled out a pocket knife, a leg gun holster and a gun. I attached the holster to my belt and around my leg, I then put on a pair of combat boots and tucked the knife into them. I stood up once more and dried my hair and left it down. But before I left my room I out the gun in the holster and walked over to my wardrobe and opened it revealing all my leather jackets, I picked out the blue/purple biker jacket. When I was finished I went downstairs and joined the others. We then decided that I would go in Stephens car whilst Helen went with dad to reduce conflict.

About half way to the Home Office I asked Stephen something

"Stephen"

"Cole"

"Can I stay at yours whilst Helens still here?"

"Yeah. I mean I'm fine with it but ask your Dad first, you know what he's like"

"Well that should be a fun conversation" we both laughed but soon arrived at the Home Office.


	18. Chapter 18: The Future Predator part 3

Everyone now knows I'm still alive and whilst we were at the Home Office Connor mentioned something about bat blood at the Zoo and that Abby was still there so despite my protest Stephen we to down there to check it out. The rest of us soon followed with Ryan and some other guards. Just as we got to the sea lion enclosure where Stephen and Abby were, the large, grey creature ran off to god knows where. Whilst Ryan was evacuating the zoo Helen went and sat in the lobby, I only went with her to keep an eye in her. I was leaning up against the wall on my phone when Claudia came into the room with a guard, we could just about hear what she was saying

"We need to try and contain it somehow. We can't afford to lose anybody..." Helen cut her off by saying

"If you want to find its lair you're going to need dogs" Helen got up as Claudia said to the guard

"Excuse me". She then came over and said to me

"You saved my life. Thank you. Although no I come to think about it, you did leave it rather late"

"Yeah well I can't exactly remember doing that because of someone, but you're welcome". She then said to Helen

"So what can you tell us about this creature?"

"It's fast. Incredibly fast. And it can camouflage itself in almost any environment. To survive in the Permian it's had to be highly adaptable, which is bad news for us. Who knows? Maybe that's how humanity meets its end, by becoming the food source for a more successful species"

After talking to Claudia we met back up with the rest of the team and headed back to the forest to look for the predator, we also have a few dogs with us. At this time I had left my jacket in the car so my bandaged arm was on show, at first Connor wanted to ask me about it but both Stephen and my dad stopped him because they knew how I felt about it.

As we got closer to the forest the dogs began barking and dad said

"The creatures lair must be somewhere very close". Ryan then asked

"What happens when we find this thing?"

"We kill it"

"I thought we only kill these creatures in self defense"

"This one's too dangerous. And if we kill it we can't affect the past or the present"

"Shoot to kill. That makes a refreshing change. I was beginning to feel like a social worker". Dad then said to me

"Are you sure you should be here?"

"Look it's this or babysitting Helen. And right now this is the better option".

We ventured further into the forest, Connor and my dad stayed by Ryan, whereas Stephen and I had guns so we went looking for tracks or something. The dogs began barking again and then we heard a roar and scream. Everyone turned to the direction of the noise with guns raised, when we couldn't see the guard that was standing there the tension grew amongst the team. I separated from Stephen to look for it and that's when I heard branches braking and saw leaves falling, I then shouted

"Look up!"

The gun were now pointed at the tree tops but we kept losing people. But then suddenly Dad shouted

"COLE, DUCK!"

I did what I was told but something clipped my back causing my to roll and drop my gun in the process. As I got in a crouching position to stand up Dad said quietly

"Don't move".

I looked in front of me and the creature was only a few feet away and moving closer. It was big and gray, had long legs with long claws at the end, it didn't have any eyes it was just clicking. I heard a gun being loaded and then Stephen saying

"Put them down you could hit Cole".

The creature was now straight in front of me and it slowly raised one of its arms. I thought it was going to kill me then and there but it didn't do what I thought it would, instead it brushed it's claws over my face and down my bandaged arm, almost as if it was being sympathetic. As it was doing that I was slowly reaching for the knife in my boot, I got it out and as the blade snapped out the creature ran away. When it was gone I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding and stood up, then next thing I knew both Stephen and my dad were at my side making sure I was alright.

When we knew the creature wasn't around we met back up with Helen and began discussing the creature. Dad spoke first

"It was one step ahead of us all the time. It knew what we were going to do before we even did it" Helen then said

"I warned you it was smart" I then said

"It would be more helpful if you could tell us how to catch it" Stephen then said

"What we need is something that gives us an advantage. Some weakness in its defences. Otherwise, it's just going to pick us off one by one". I then remembered something

"The clicking"

"What"

"The creature didn't have any eyes, instead it was clicking". Connor then said

"Dogs. The dogs went crazy before it attacked. What'd make them go off like that?" Stephen answered him

"It can't be smell. If there was a scent trail, they'd have followed it" dad and I came to the conclusion and both then said

"Hearing"

"Sound"

"they heard something"

"it's using sound"

"That why it managed to stay ahead of us. It can detect physical movement before its within visual range"

"And the dogs, they detect a higher frequency, therefore they know when it's nearby". Ryan then said

"Like echo location"

"High frequency sound waves. It's like a sonar system. Some animals use it to detect prey" Stephen then said something

"Like a bat" we all looked at him and he then said to Connor

"You said there was bat blood in the lion enclosure" Connor then said

"That's it. That's it. This thing must be some kind of... I don't know, super bag". Helen then spoke up

"He's right. Three quarters of all mammal species are bats or rats. Maybe the future belongs to them" Dad then said to Connor

"We can use its own weapon against them"

"Am oscilloscope"

"It's in the car. Go get it" Connor then ran off to get it and that's when I said

"Right not that I'm complaining but why didn't it kill me? Why did it just touch me arm"

"I have no clue. Maybe it saw you were injured and spared you"

"But predators tend to go for the sick and the injured so why didn't it"

"Just be happy that you're alive". After a few minutes I heard something that sounded like glass breaking. Connor, he ran off without a weapons. I began running and so did Stephen.

We emerged from the forest and saw Abby throwing a stone at the predator that was looming over Connor. Both me and Stephen pulled out our guns and fired at the creature, we hit it and it ran off. Abby turned and hugged Stephen, Stephen and I shared a look before I went over to Connor to check he was alright. Moments later Dad and the others emerged. Dad came over to me and Connor to see if he was alright.

"Connor you alright?"

"Apart from almost being eaten, I'm fine" he tapped him in the back and I grabbed my jacket out of the car and put it on as he pulled me to the side. He gave me a look and I said

"What did I do?"

"You have got to stop running off and scaring the hell out of me" As he said that I heard a female voice shout

"COLE". I turned around and saw Amy, Becca, Jason and Jacob walking towards us. Dad discreetly took my gun away and said

"Good luck"

"Thanks".

I walked forward to met them and Amy hugged me, pulled away punched my bad arm and said

"Where the hell have you been?" I tried not to look in pain and said

"I've been staying with some family. After the being kidnapped thing Dad thought it'd be a good idea to get away for a bit, out of the city"

"What and you couldn't call?"

"I was in Scotland"

"Right that's understandable. Should we go and get a drink or something seeing as someone skipped out on their 18th birthday bash"

"What right now?"

"Yeah, why you busy?"

"Currently I'm pretty busy for the next few days. But when I'm free I'll call you" Jac then said

"Come on can't even hang out for ten minutes" I turned around slightly and said

"I'll be back in a sec. Don't go anywhere" I then went over to dad nut before i could say anything he said

"Go"

"You sure"

"You haven't seen them for three weeks. Go and take this just in case" he handed me back my gun. I put it in the back of my trousers, took the gun holster off and said

"I'll be ten minutes"

"Be as long as you like, just keep your phone on"

"Keep me informed"

"Yep". I touched my arm and then said

"Do you have any painkillers"

"Ask Stephen". So I walked over to Stephen who was stood by his car.

"Stephen, have you got any painkillers"

"Yeah, why arm hurting?" He opened the car door and went into the glove box as I said

"Amy punched me"

"Amy's here?"

"And Becca, and Jac, and Jas. We're going to catch up" he handed me some painkillers and a bottle of water and said

"You got your gun"

"Yeah and I'll call if I see anything" I took them and he said

"Have fun" I kissed him on the cheek and went back over to the group. When I got over to them Amy and Becca had smirks on their faces and then looked over at Stephen. I then said

"Oh Shut up". We then walked around the zoo, catching up and having a good time like we did on weekends before the anomalies.

After about 30 minutes we found ourselves sitting on a lunch bench outside of the Butterfly house. Jacob asked me

"So Cole who was that guy you were talking to and Kissed on the cheek"

"His name is Stephen, I've known him for a while"

"And how old is he?" I then said really quietly

"26" Jason then said

"Sorry how old is he"

"He's 26" Amy then said

"Wow how did you manage to get a 26 year old"

"We've just know each other for ages and know just about everything about each other" Amy's phone then rang and she excused herself to answer it. I then said

"So how's school" Becca then said

"Good. You missed prom though, it wasn't right without you" after Becca said that we heard a scream. I stood up, pulled my gun out and turned to where Amy went. There I saw the creature standing there attacking someone. I shot at it and hit it twice, it then ran off and I said to the others

"Stay here". They were shock but I ignored it and walked forward with my gun raised. I approached the body and said

"Amy...(no answer)...Amy" I knew who the body was but just didn't want to admit it, I could feel tears starting to form in my eyes. I took a breath and turned the corner that the body was behind and was nearly sick. I crouched down to the body and went to place two fingers on Amy's neck just to check if she was alive, but pulled my hand away before I could. I took another deep breath and placed my fingers on he neck, there was no pulse. I put my gun away and pulled a sheet of the wall and covered Amy's body. I then got my phone out and sent a text to Dad because if I called him I would break down.

"Creature sighted, by the butterfly house. And a dead body. Get down here"

I stood up and turned to the others. Becca was hugging Jacob, they both had tears in their eyes and Jason was looking at me, took a breath and said

"Amy?". I walked forward and nodded slightly. He began crying and I pulled him into a hug that's when my tears began to fall, just not as much as the others. The cars then pulled up and the team got out fast. I looked at dad and I mouthed

'Amy'

"Oh my god". I pulled away from Jason and moved him, Jacob and Becca away from scene, I sat them down on another wall and they were given blankets for shock. I then walked away and over to the lake. After a while Dad came up and stood beside me. He then said

"I'm sorry Cole"

"She shouldn't have died. This shouldn't have happened. Helen brought this thing here it's her fault that Amy is dead"

"You don't have to stay. You can go home if you want"

"No. I need to stay and stop this thing. For Amy"

We then walked back to the cars but on the way Becca said

"Cole what was that thing" I turned to them and said

"Go home guys" I turned again only to have them move in front of me and say

"No more lies, Cole. What the heck just happened"

"Go home"

"NO! What's going on" I was getting angry at them and ended up shouting

"WHATS GOING ON IS THAT OUR BEST FRIEND WAS JUST KILLED AND I DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOU EITHER. SO I AM BEGGING YOU, LEAVE NOW!" They were taken back by what just happened because I hardly ever lose my temper like that but Becca then said

"Guess what, you claim you don't want to lose us either. But the truth is you lost us the second you began lying to us. Have a nice life Cole" They walked past me nudging my shoulder in the process. I took a breath and turned back to the team. I began walking forward towards the cars, as I got to the car Stephen went to say something but i spoke first

"I don't want to talk about it. Let's just hurry up and kill this thing". I went around the back of the cars and got a new clip for my gun, I loaded it and we went back into the forest to find this things den.


	19. Chapter 19: The Future Predator part 4

Coles P.O.V.

we walked back through the forest to the far side where we found some buildings.

"What do they keep in here"

"It's just animal crate storage". Helen turned around and said

"Great place for a lair". The device that Connors got was picking something up but the dogs weren't for some reason. Dad picked up on this and said

"Whatever is making that noise should be right on top of us"

"The dogs should be going crazy"

"Come on". We decided to go into one of the buildings and there we found something. I followed Helen to the far side and there we found babies.

"Dad you need to see this"

"My god it's given birth" Stephen then went into the back and said

"There are three bodies back here"

"She's storing them to fees her young". The beeping then became rapid and Connor shouted

"WE'VE GOT COMPANY". We heard thuds coming from the roof top. Everyone was looking around and waiting for the creature to make and appearance. But then one of the soldiers were attacked. Dad in all the chaos grabbed one of the babies and ran out of the building, I tried to go after him but Stephen stopped me. The creature then followed after dad. We heard gun shots coming from the green house and when we got in there dad was standing over the creatures lifeless body. I then said

"Don't ever do that again" he gave me a look and then I said

"Unless Im with you"

"That's my girl".

Back at the building the babies had been created up and the mother had been taken back to the lab for an autopsy. Whilst the rest of us went to the home office to talk to Lester. Helen spoke first

"If you kill them now, you'll be making a big mistake" Lester then said

"Then what do you suggest? A sympathetic foster family?"

"A dangerous anomaly to the future is open in the Permian. Predators could come pouring through" Claudia then said

"Why do we keep these animals alive?" I then said

"To pinpoint the exact location of the anomaly. All bats have extraordinary homing instincts. They'll know their own environmental. They can lead us to it"

"And what happens then" dad and I then said at the exact same time

"We kill them" dad then took over

"To let one of the loose in the Permian era could be a potential catastrophe. They could wipe out whole species. They could change things in ways we can't even conceive" Lester then said

"And afterwards, we keep a permanent guard at the future anomaly?"

"The threat's too serious to be ignored" Claudia then said

"Serious enough to warrant a permanent intrusion into the past?"

"With the correct restrictions, yes" Lester then sighed and said

"I suppose just bombing somewhere is out of the question?. All right we'll do it. I just hope you're right". Him and Claudia walked off and I said

"I'm going with you"

"No you're not, and this time it's not up for discussion". We then went home and because of the time and the fact I'd missed my bed I decided to stay at home tonight.

So I got changed into my pajamas and as I came out of my room to get a drink I heard Helen and dad taking, Helen spoke first

"We never arranged sleeping arrangements"

"I'm going to take the spare room"

"You don't have to. We're still married" me gagging at the end of the corridor. She then leaned in but dad stopped her by saying

"Excuse me" she stepped aside and dad went into his room. I then went downstairs with a smile on my face to get a bottle of water. Just as quickly as I was down stairs, I was back in my room and was a sleep in minutes.

The next day

I woke up the next day bright and early, I got showers and dressed. Today I was wearing a black polo shirt, a denim pair of jeans, vans, and a brown leather jacket. After getting something quick to eat we went down to the anomaly site and dad was already giving out orders to the people carrying the babies.

"Be careful with them. They're our only hope of finding the future anomaly" the men went through and dad then said to Stephen

"If I don't make it back, push Lester through the worst anomaly you can find."

"It's a given"

"And take care of Cole"

"Definitely". Stephen then walked away and Claudia took his place

"What happens of it closes whole you're in the other side?"

"We wait until it reopens". Helen then said

"I think we should get going". Dad agreed and quickly hugged me. More men went through the anomaly whilst Helen waited for dad. As he walked towards her Claudia grabbed his arm and said

"Don't go. Stay. I think this is a mistake. Ive got a really bad feeling about this."

"It's going to be fine. I'll see you soon" he hen joined Helen by the anomaly. Lester then came up beside Claudia and said

"Think I should make a speech? One small step for man, that sort of thing?"

"Maybe another time". She then moved over to dad and kissed him, the look on Helens face was priceless making a small smile form on my lips. She pulled away and rejoined us with Lester saying

"Well that was t very professional"

"Stuff professionalism". Dad and Helen then went through the anomaly.

After a bit Connor got a phone call

"Uh-Huh? Yeah. You're sure?" Stephen tried to get it off him

"Connor?"

"There's no chance you could've made a mistake?"

"Connor, give me the phone"

"Okay, I understand, thanks"

"The lab?"

"Yeah. The creatures autopsy proves beyond any doubt that it was definitely a male" I then said

"It's got to be female it was nurturing it's young"

"Maybe in this species, that's a job for the boys"

"Better be. Because if not... that means there's another one out there". We all shared a concerned look and then the anomaly flickered, we turned to it and Claudia said

"What happened"

"I'm not sure"

"Did you see something"

"Nothing"

"Is the anomaly getting weaker". Connor got out his compass and said

"No. No change"

After 2 hours of stressing dad finally came through the anomaly but so,etching wasn't right. Lester spoke first

"What happened did you find the anomaly?"

"Captain Ryan didn't make it, and all his men are dead. What ever happens, nobody goes back through" Helen then spoke

"Well, Im sorry to break your new rule so soon, Nick, but, um, I'm not staying"

"Well, what did you come back through for?"

"Oh just a little, um, unfinished business" she looked at Stephen with a smile on her face.

"You see, Nick, it was just one of those things. I was lonely, and you didn't seem to care about me. And Stephen was so sweet and attentive."

"Shut up Helen"

"Oh you mean you never told him?" I then said

"Stephen what's she talking about"

"Oh, dear" Stephen then said

"Nothing happened" then Lester

"What an extremely awkward moment"

"You see I don't want to be on my own anymore" she moved closer to Stephen and said

"You once said you'd do anything for me if I have you the chance. Well, here it is. Co,e with me"

"Don't do this"

"Falling for one of your students is never a good idea but... sometimes these things just happen, you know" Dad then said

"How could you keep that from me for so many years"

"There was no point in saying anything because nothing happened, she made a move on me a long time ago but nothing happened, it was in the past"

"The past has a habit of coming back these days, doesn't it?" Dad moved away from Stephen and Helen moved in front of the anomaly. She then said

"Well? Are you coming?"

"You know what I'd forgotten Helen? Sometimes you can be a real bitch". Stephen walked away from her and then after sharing a look with dad went back through the anomaly.

When she was gone he said

"Where's Claudia?" Everyone shared a look of confusion as Lester said

"Claudia?"

"Where's Claudia Brown"

"I don't know anyone of that name"

"No come on. where is she?" Stephen then said

"We really, we...we don't know what you're talking about" I then said

"Never heard of her" then Connor

"Same, we don't know her"

"Look you've been working with her everyday for months, so don't tell me you don't know who she is" Lester then said

"No idea, sorry". Dad moved forward and grabbed Lester's suit

"Look. Look, where is she?"Connor then said

"Cutter, we don't know her" then Abby

"No one knows her" he let go of Lester and turned back to the anomaly

"Wait. Something's wrong. This isn't right. Something's gone wrong. Something's happened, something's changed. We've done something, we've... something that we've done has changed the past and she's not here anymore" we all then noticed the anomaly closing behind him, but it was different from how they usual close.

"Oh, God. Oh My God"


	20. Chapter 20: Raptor in a Shopping center

Nicks P.O.V.

My name is Professor Nick Cutter. Eight years ago, my wife Helen disappeared. I discovered she had stepped into the past through ruptures in time call anomalies. Now, creatures from the past threaten the future of the human race. There's only a small group of people who know the truth, my research team. Stephen Hart, Connor Temple, Abby Maitland and my daughter Cole Cutter. And government officials James Lester and Claudia Brown.

I return from the past to find out that something has gone terribly wrong and Claudia Brown has vanished, as though she was never even born. I've come back to a different world, and Helen and I are the only two people who know it.

I turned back to look at the closing anomaly and thinking about what could have happened. I turned back around and said

"Oh, My God" Connor then stated the obvious

"It's Closing" I turned back around and made a run for the anomaly only to be held back by Stephen and Cole.

"No!"

"No, no,no!"

"No I have to go! I have to make things right"

"Don't be stupid, you'll get marooned there"

The anomaly closed and they let me go. I stared at the empty clearing were the anomaly was seconds ago and said

"Something's happened. Something happened while I was in there, something's change. The world's evolved differently" Lester then said

"On my way. I think we're done, aren't we?" He began walking away and I ran up to him

"No, no Claudia Brown. Claudia Brown, she's been with us since the beginning, she was in charge of the day-to-day running of the anomaly operation"

"No, it's Leek, Oliver Leek. You can't have forgotten him, you saw the ARC this morning"

"The what?" Cole answered me

"The ARC. The Anomaly Research Center"

"No, no, you mean the Home Office"

"No, we moved from that place ages ago". I looked around in confusion trying to process what was happening. Lester then asked

"Cole is he having a nervous breakdown. Anyhow, I've got a meeting, so if you could call an ambulance or check him over, you are a doctor"

"How many times. I'm a medical student and he's fine" I then said

"Since when are you a medical student?" She just looked at me with confusion as she said

"For months, remember" I collapsed on to the floor as Lester said

"Getting a little old for imaginary friends, Professor" I then stood up and with once last glance at the anomaly site I turned around and climbed into the car.

Stephen drove us right across town to this tall, grey building that I had never seen before. As we entered the building Stephen went into the kitchen, Abby went into what looked like a chill out room, whilst Connor and Cole went to the lockers. As Cole pulled out a bag from hers I scanned the name tags only to land on mine. Connor grabbed his skateboard and skated off to Abby whilst Cole walked over to Stephen, kissed him before disappearing. As I walked down the long corridor multiple people that I've never met greeted me. As I looked in the labs there were so many people I didn't recognize. I pushed the double doors open revealing a huge work space. I scanned the room and saw multiple security soldiers walking around. My eyes then caught Lester walking up the big ramp towards another man.

"What have we got?"

"New creature reports. An intercepted emergency call at the Castle Cross shopping mall. Security guard screaming something about a monster"

"A shopping mall? God help us"

"I've instructed the police to stay out until we've investigated. Oh, Professor, glad to see you back well and safe. Thought I gather your wife won't be joining us" the man standing in front of me was about my height and was scrawny and I didn't know who the hell he was.

"Who the hell are you?"

Coles P.O.V.

When we got to the ARC I grabbed a spare pair of clothes out of my locker and went to get changed. I changed into a pair of biker jeans, a black flowey vest top, with a pair of black and white sneakers and a red biker jacket. After putting my stuff back in my locker I went into the ops room only to hear dad say to Leek

"Who the hell are you?"

I shared a worried look with Conner who was standing next to me as we listened to the rest of the conversation, Lester spoke first

"Oh, yes. Professor Cutter's suffering from some kind of stress related amnesia. He seems to have forgotten, well, pretty much everything, really"

"No, I haven't forgotten a thing. Wish I could"

"Now he's being enigmatic as well! What a vivid repertoire. You really telling me you don't know who this man is?". Dad turned around to look at me and he was seriously freaking me out. He smiled, turned back and said

"No, of course, it's Leek, Oliver Leek. I know exactly who he is" Lester then said

"Is this some kind of industrial action, or did no one hear that we have a creature sighting in a shopping mall?". Stephen came throw the doors and I'd

"Guys come on" whilst they left I waited to walk with dad.

"You didn't have a clue who leek was then, did you?"

"Uh-uh"

"Okay you're officially creeping me out. Let me get this straight, you're saying that something's changed because of what happened in the Permian Anomaly? Like evolution has just, what, altered course"

"Glad somebody was listening. You believe me?"

"All right, I'll buy it"

"That's my girl"

"One thing though. How do I know Im different,when I don't know what I was like before?"

"Apparently some people never change"

"Is that a good or a bad thing?" He ignored me and we joined the others in the car. Dad and Stephen sat in the front whilst me, Connor and Abby sat in the back.

After 15 minutes we arrived at the mall. We climbed out of the cars and 3 of us got our guns. Those three we me, Abby and Stephen . As Abby was sorting out the tranq darts Connor asked

"Where's my gun?" Stephen, Abby and I sniggered at his question.

"Cole gets one and she's only 18" Stephen then said whilst closing the gun chases

"She knows how to use it" he then whispered in my ear so only I could hear

"And it's kinda hot" I smirk grew on my lips as I playfully elbowed his side. Connor then said

"You know sometimes I think you don't trust me with firearms" I closed my case and said

"Whatever gave you that idea". We moved away from the car and stood behind dad. Stephen then said

"So what now?" Dad turned around slowly and said

"We go in". We walked up to the mall.

As we got to a pair of shutters they rattled startling us. We raised are guns as the shutters opened revealing a guy in a suit. Dad began asking questions

"Who are you?"

"Duty manager" I then said

"Tell us what happened"

"We got an emergency call from one of our operatives. We haven't been able to raise him since"

"What did he say"

"He didn't really say anything he just sort of screamed". Dad walked up to him and said

"Did you see anything in there?" The man shock his head in despair, then dad said

"I want you to close these shutter behind us, and I don't want you to open them again until I tell you it's safe, because whatever happens, it mustn't get out" I shared an amused look with Stephen as the man turned completely pale whilst saying

"What mustn't get out" we walked past him and Connor and Abby stayed back to make sure he actually closed them.

We walked further into the shopping mall. I was in front of the others but I heard dad and Stephen talking. Stephen spoke first

"Are we okay?"

"About what?"

"Can't ignore what happened"

"Well Cole seems to have"

"I can hear you, you know" they ignored my comment as Dad said

"Stephen you kissed my wife. If you're looking for closure, I'm a little bit busy"

"I don't blame you for being angry"

"Look Helen never really cared for either of us. She's mad"

"Mad?"

"Took of throw an anomaly for eight years plus she pushed her own daughter off a cliff, does that strike you as well-balanced? Just forget it. I'm finished with the past. It's just, I don't know if it's finished with me".

After their little chat we went up to the surveillance room. Connor sat at the computer and I was the first to ask as he was looking at the footage form earlier tonight.

"Con can you get any closer?" He continued to look and dad muttered

"Come on, show us what you are." As he said that we saw something in one of the cameras.

"What's that"

"Not sure" was Connors response so he rewinded the tape and paused it so we could see the creature properly. Dad recognized it straight away

"Cretaceous era, theropod dinosaur. Genuine article" Connor then continued

"Raptor. I always thought we'd get one someday".

"It's beautiful" he played the footage and then the raptor snapped at one of the cameras, we all looked at dad as he defended his last comment

"I said it was beautiful, I didn't say it was friendly". When we finished up there we decided to go down the the bowling alley.

I stayed at the back with Connor but as we entered the alley Connor turned around and walked in the opposite direction. I turned and whispered

"Oi! Where you going?"

"Going to get a slushy. Shh" he then jogged off leaving me sighing to myself. After about 10 minutes he hadn't come back so I went to check in him. I saw him by the slushy machine drinking what was in his cup.

"Oi! I hope you're going to pay for that"

"Yeah, if you can lend me a fiver". I pulled a fiver out of my pocket and handed it too him

"Thank you Cole". I turned around and began walking back to the others but didn't get far because I heard noises, non human noises. I turned slowly to see Connor backing up

"Cole!"

"What?"

"Close the shutter"

"Okay" I ran over to the shutter and it began closing.

"Cole Quickly" he then ran like mad with the raptor behind him

"Run, Connor! Connor, run!" The shutter got lower and lower to the ground as he got closer and closer

"Come on!" He then decided to turn around and throw his slushy at the raptor. He slid under the shutter at the last second only for us to jump back as the raptor ran into it. The others then came running around the corner as Connor groaned and said

"I hate that" dad then said

"What?"

"Brain freeze from the slushy". Dad then said

"Right, go check the atrium, make sure we can contain her". As we walked back into the atrium Stephen said

"We need more fire power. This is a raptor"

"I've just lost a friend because we disrupted nature once too often, and I don't intend to let it happen again"

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Under the circumstances, I'd say I was pretty well" after dad said that we heard hissing. Dad took Abby's gun as we turned the corner to see what the noise was. We turned the corner with are guns raised only to see a cleaner shouting

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa. Don't shoot me" dad then said

"Cole, Connor get this guy out of here" . Walked forward with Connor and we lead the cleaner through the mall.

As we were in the escalator the guy said

"I haven't got my jacket"

"You can get it later"

"I need my wallet and my keys" I sighed and let him lead us to the locker room. I went in through the first set of double doors with my gun raised, Conner turned the lights on and I said

"Wait, did you leave that door open?" The cleaner shrugged and said

"What? I don't remember" I sighed again and Connor said

"Give me the gun"

"What?"

"Come on"

"No"

"Please"

"No"

"It's just for a minute. You wanna go first?" He had a point I didn't want to go in first to I handed him my gun.

"Thank you" he stepped into the room, put his back up against the lockers and turned into a real idiot. He looked up and down the lines as if his was in a spy movie.

"Clear! Clear, guys" we walked in. The guy went to his locker whilst I said

"Connor. You're ridiculous"

"What?"

"I said you're ridiculous"

"What do you mean I'm ridiculous? Im Just doing my job" as he said the the cleaner fell back screaming as a little raptor was biting his neck. We ran over to him with Connor still holding the gun. He was on the floor clutching his bleeding neck. We then walked over to the bench and saw the little raptor underneath. Connor bent over to look at it as he tried to get a clear shot but it kept moving

"Shoot it"

"All right. Fine" I moved so my back was against the lockers as he went to the other side of the bench saying

"Got it, got it. It's fine"

"Come on"

"It's not exactly staying still for me is it"

"Shoot it Connor"

"Got it, I've got it" he pulled the trigger and the next thing I knew there was a sharp pain in my leg. I looked down and saw the dart sticking out of my lower leg.

"You idiot..." he stood up as I began getting light headed

Connors P.O.V.

"Cole, I'm sorry. Sorry" She then collapse moaning in pain. I grabbed he before she hit the floor and gently laid her down. I went in her jacket pocket and pulled out the other dart.

"Okay, I'm just gonna have to just do this. I'll be with you in a minute, all right?" I loaded the gun and began circling the bench again. I shut my eyes and turned away as I pulled the trigger. When I opened them again I saw the baby raptor stumbling out from under the bench. I was really happy but then remembered I had just shot Cole with a tranq dart. I got up and found something to place Cole on, it was a thing used to transport products around the mall. So I made sure the raptor was out and picked Cole up to place her on the trolley to take her to Cutter, Stephen and Abby.

Nicks P.O.V.

After the gun jamming on us in the laser tag room Stephen wasn't exactly in the best of moods with me.

"Now, hold on. So you think that I would have just stood by and watched you get torn to pieces?"

"Well, I guess that depends on how much you resent me for what happened with Helen"

"Yeah, you know, you're right. I do, I resent you. But if I wanted you dead, I would have shot you myself. But then Cole would kill us both so..." we then heard chirping from the raptor and ran out to find it. We went down some escalators and looked around. Abby and Stephen raised there guns as the raptor ran over some wooden shelf units. Stephen went to fire as I shouted

"Run!"

"It's jammed" so once again are powerful gun was out of play. All three of us then ran down more escalators and looked up to find the raptor. When we didn't see anything Stephen went back up the escalator and Abby said

"Stephen, Wait here" . As he edged his way up the escalator the raptor jumped over the railings, Stephen shot at it but it still landed in front of Abby and I. As it came closer it passed out and collapsed on the floor. Stephen then shouted down

"You all right?". He came down and we wrapped the raptor up so we could drag it through the mall.

We came to a stop on one of the walk ways and just looked at the raptor. Abby and I were sat one side and Stephen the other. Abby then said

"Look at her. Just a perfect killing machine" then I said

"Do you know in a fair fight, mammals wouldn't stand a chance" Stephen then said

"Well, speaking as a mammal, I'm only in favor of cheating... yeah about the gun... I was wrong"

"Never mind. Listen you could have gone with Helen, you could have left but you didn't, and right now that's all that really matters. So... so just forget about the rest"

"You think she'll be back?"

"You mean do I think she's done messing with us? I seriously doubt it. Helen never really handled rejection particularly well" we all sniggered slightly and then Connors panicked voice echoed through the building

"Professor? Abby? Stephen?" We got up and ran to him to see what was wrong. When we found it we immediately saw him pulling a trolley with Cole on, she was unconscious. I went to her side and asked

"What happened?"

"I shot her" we all looked at him seriously as he continued speaking.

"Collateral damage, though, 'cause I got the raptor, too" Stephen sat next her with his hand on her leg and brushing a few lose hairs from her face as I stood up and said

"You brought down a full size raptor on your own?"

"Yeah... well he's nearly full size. Is she going to be alright" Stephen then said

"She will have a nasty headache, but she should be fine. It's you I'm more concerned about because when she wakes up she's going to be pissed and you've basically just signed your own death warrant" he laughed thinking we were joking

"You're joking right. Cutter tell me he's joking" I then said

"She better come around soon 'cause I'm gonna need all of you to get the raptors back alive"

"Alive?"

"Yeah"

"These are trying to make sushi out of us and we have to play nice, that doesn't seem fair" I then walked past him and he took us to the little raptor. Stephen stayed outside with Cole just in case.

"The cleaner was attacked he was badly injured... I don't get it, he was right there. He was in a really bad way" Connor said that whilst pointing at a blood pool on the floor. I then said

"Well, he must have recovered and got himself out" i then went to pick up the baby raptor only to have him flinch at my touch.

"One raptor is a problem, two means we've got an infestation, and God knows how many others are running around out there. I want you to take this back to the bowling alley, with Cole and come and meet us at the store"

"On my own"

"It's unconscious, you've got nothing to worry about"

"What if it's just playing dead?"

"Playing dead?"

"Yeah"

"Wheel, it's a Cretaceous-era predator, so this creature is pretty smart, so...yeah, he's probably... watch out for that"

"Yeah, really?" Was the last thing I heard from him as I left the room. After leaving Connor we went back to the other raptor and began dragging it through the mall to the bowling alley. As we passed the radios I stopped because I heard something weird.

"Interference. Sounds Odd... I'll figure it out later"

We placed both raptor by the lanes and Connor then came in with Cole.

"She's really going to kill me when she wakes up" Stephen hummed in agreement nodding his head. After placing Cole by the bowling shoes we left Connor to look after her whilst the rest of us went back up to the

surveillance room.

I then said

"First security guard was attacked here (I point at the bowling alley) and the second one here (I point at a corridor), both attacks happened within seconds of one another, which means there's at least two of them"

"We've only found one"

"Yeah" Connor then made an appearance and said

"And a baby"

"What are you doing up here you're supposed to be looking after Cole" he looked at Stephen and said

"I thought you were doing that, she's your girlfriend"

"I'm not the one who shot her"

"Look" I grabbed there attentions back to the screens as I saw the other raptor running around.

"Oh god Cole" I then said to Connor.

"Stay here tell us where it's gone" I picked up a walkie talky and ran out of the room with Stephen and Abby.

Connor P.O.V.

"Stay here tell them where it's gone" I scanned the screens but nothing

"Wheres it gone" all I could see was my three team mates running.

"Come on, come on, where are you?" My eyes continuously scramming the screens and then I saw it. I picked up the walkie and said

"I can see it, Cutter. It's on the level beneath you. I repeat its on the level below" then I lost it

"I can't see it it's disappeared again...where's it gone?. Uh for crying out loud, how hard can it be to see a raptor in a shopping center" I then saw it again

"Oh, my god. Guys it's heading straight towards the bowling alley. He's going towards Cole. You're gonna have to be quick, he's moving pretty fast" I just watched as they raced through the mall

"Come on, come on guys you can do this" then I got the news I'd been waiting for

"Connor, she's fine" I sighed in relief and went to go join them.

Stephens P.O.V.

As the night progressed Cole was still out, we hadn't caught the other raptor and the baby one was coming around. So I filled up a syringe with ketamine went over to it and said

"Oh, she's coming around again. I'll just give it a quick..." Nick interrupted me

"No, hang on, just wait a minute. There are three raptors, one of them is a baby, so the chances are they're a family unit. So maybe we don't have to go looking for daddy. 'Cause maybe this little fellow will bring him to us". We let the baby raptor come round completely and then we tied it up so it couldn't run off. It was shouting for one of its parents, Nick then said

"That's right, you shout for your daddy. Now let's just hope their a close family" Connor then walked up to him with a gun and said

"Where do you want me?" He took the gun from him and said

"I want you in there with Cole. Go.". He went over to Cole whilst the rest of us stayed hidden waiting for the raptor to arrive.

Eventually we heard the raptor responding to the chirping of its young. It came jumping over the bar and walked slowly to the baby. It hissed but before I could take a shot it ate the baby. I shared a look with Nick and Abby but then Cole said

"What's going on?" Are eyes shot over to her, she was standing up looking confused. The raptor turned to face them. Connor grabbed her hand a pulled her from where they were,

"I'll tell you later" we stood up and shot the creature with three direct hits, but it was still in its feet. Connor then chucked her a snooker stick and they got ready to fight it but dance music began playing from one of the machines. Causing the creature to attack it. It then ran off but not without three more darts hitting it. Conor then asked

"What just happened" Nick then said

"That's three does of tranquilizer and it's still on its feet, we're gonna have to up the amount" I placed my gun on the pool table before walking out of the room and down to the car with Nick hot on my heels.

"They're too dangerous. We can't keep taking stupid risks" I pushed a gun case out of the way and picked up another one.

"Stephen everything we do has an impact"

"We've killed creatures before and nothing's happened"

"Now how do you know that for sure?"

"Look, maybe the strain of going through the anomalies has got to you. Maybe you only think these changes took place"

"What? Do you think I dreamed Claudia Brown"

"The whole pattern of evolution changes, but just one person disappears, one person who happens to be a friend..."

"No, it's not that simple. The ARC didn't even exist before I left, there's a whole team of people in there I've never even met. There may be countless other things, big and small, I don't know yet" after Nick said that we heard a distant alarm. I picked up the live round gun and said

"Look, I'll only use it if I have to". I put the gun on my back and we ran to where the alarm sounded from. When we got there we saw a completely destroyed shutter, we looked at each other before running out of mall.

We ran ran into the lower levels and saw a group of teenage boys doing tricks on motorbikes. Nick then grabbed two of the boys attention

"Hey! Hey! Did you see an animal pass this way?"

"Dog, a polar bear, what?"

"No, trust me, you'd know if you'd seen it" the boys turned away from us and we then heard squawking echo through the room. Nick turned to me and said urgently

"We've got to get it back to the mall". We turned around and saw two motocross bikes and decided to use them. As I drove away on mine the raptor ran past and the boys asked Nick questions that I didn't hear. We drove all around the level trying to find it but then it jumped of a car and over my head, I ducked just missing it and the next thing I knew it was chasing me and Nick back up to the mall.

We were driving around the mall aimlessly with the raptor hot in our heels but then we both stopped, dropped the bikes and got into a elevator. The raptor tried to get in but Nick punched it in the face and then the doors closed obstructing the raptors entry. As we began moving Nick pulled out the walkie talky and shouted down it

"Connor! Where the hell are you? We're on our way up to the second floor." There was no reply by the time we got to the second floor. We got out of he elevator and looked over the side only to hear the raptor. We looked up and saw the raptor jumping over the railing next to the elevator. Unfortunately at some point I had dropped my gun so we were completely defenseless. As the raptor approached we heard Connor shout

"Cutter! Out of the way" Nick moved over and Connor shot the raptor. However it kept coming towards us so we got ready to fight it only to have it drop to the floor unconscious. I slid to the ground in relief as Connor said

"I beg you boys are glad you gave me a gun now. Huh? Yeah"

Coles P.O.V.

There was still some of the drug in my system as I walked with Connor down to where the anomaly was so k was in some pain. I walked down the stairs slowly but ever step hurt. Connor then ask

"How're you feeling" I snapped back

"Terrible"

"Do you want to to get you something? I could run and get you a glass of water…"

"Stop fussing, Connor. I'm fine"

"Okay" he walked ahead of me slightly, turned and said

"You know, Cole, I want you to know something. If I was going to shoot anyone, you'd be like one of the last people I'd shoot. Apart from me mother, obviously…" he pulled out the gun and carried on talking

"But you'd be way down the bottom of the list with her. In fact I don't think I'd shoot either of you"

"Can you drop this"

"Yeah"

"Can you move the gun away from my personal space"

"Sure"

"Thanks".

When we met up with the others dad called Abby over to feel the raptors arm.

"What can you feel"

"It's strange. His bone structure feels more like a birds wing than anything reptilian" as dad stood up Connor said sarcastically

"So, guys, let me get this straight. All we have to do is drag two of the angriest creatures in the known universe through a hole in time, back into an ancient world where we don't know what's waiting on the other side for us" I then said

"When you out it like hat it sounds so easy" dad then said

"Im gonna do this on my own" Abby then said

"We'll help" Connor then said

"Who's we" we all glared at him as he continued

"I didn't say I wouldn't. I just prefer if I could do my own volunteering. Thank you"

"Look I'm going to do this on my own. I don't want any arguments. Connor." I shared a look with Stephen and Abby as Connor walked over to dad.

"How long have I got"

"Uh… I don't know. You knew it's hard to say. Ninety percent of the anomalies are gone within hours, this ones been here most of the night already"

"Come with me" Connor and dad then went off somewhere and Stephen said to me

"You're going to go through after him, aren't you?"

"I've got a feeling that he's going to do something stupid so I'm going to make sure that he doesn't. No arguments, Stephen"

Eventually Connor and dad returned and he was ready to go through the anomaly. The rest of us stood back as dad pushed the trolley with the raptors towards the then said

"These two won't be asleep for much longer. Okay this is as far as you go" after giving me one last look, as if he was saying goodbye, he proceeded through the anomaly. I followed him a few minutes later.

Nicks P.O.V.

The anomaly was at the top of a rocky hill which pulled the trolley down with me struggling for grip behind it. The tranq gun I brought fell off the trolley as we traveled down it. Eventually I let go and watched as it came to a slow stop. I walked over to it, took my knife out and began cutting the ropes holding the raptors on the trolley. When they were all cut I walked back to my jacket, picked it up and looked at the anomaly. That's when I decided not to go back so I began walking away from it when a voice stopped me

"Yeah. Thought you might try something like this, so I followed you through. Just in case you had some crazy idea about not coming back" I turned and saw Cole walking towards me.

"I have no idea what you're talking about" she gave me a serious look and I said

"All right I know exactly what you're talking about, but so what maybe it's for the best"

"What? Dying out here in this godforsaken place? Take it from someone who knows what that's like, it's hell out there"

"Look, I figured if I travel through enough anomalies, then maybe I can fix it, maybe I can change things back to the way they were"

"What if there's no way back? What if this is world the only one there is? I mean, look, it's suicide"

"Now, look, I don't want to die, Cole. I just wanna try and make things right"

"Okay. Okay, well let's suppose you do change things. How do you know that this time around we're not all just gonna get wiped out?"

"I don't"

"Dad, you could change a Killian things and still not get Claudia back. All,you know is what's happening right here, right now"

I looked back at the anomaly and she said

"Now, for once in your life, forget about the past, 'cause you've got a job to do" I looked at her and considered what she said for a few minutes before saying

"You're right. Just don't overdo it, you know, you haven't been right for a while" I glanced back at the anomaly and then said

"Is it just me or is that anomaly closing?" We shared a look before sprinting back to the anomaly. On the way back we heard the raptors squawking so we stopped momentarily and looked back before running again.

I jumped through the anomaly and fell to the floor only to have Abby pick me up and say

"Where's Cole". As she said that a scream came from the anomaly and Coles hand came through. We grabbed her hand and pulled but something had her by the ankle. The anomaly closed with cole in one piece and a raptor head on our side. She was hopping around in pain until she hopped over to Stephen but not before thanking me.

Lester's P.O.V.

In the early hours of the morning I received a phone call from cutter.

"The place is clean and the anomaly's gone you can give the all clear"

"Excellent, we'll handle it from here. Oh, good work by the way. It could have been very nasty"

"Indeed"

"Yeah, you deserve a rest and a chance to recover. Take an hour. No, let's not be mean. Take two. I'll see you back here at 9:00"

"Forget it I'm got home to bed"

"Well, there someone I'd like you to meet. A new member of the team"

"Who?"

"Oh, some sort of PR wizard. Basically he'll be our cover-up specialist. Protecting the public from what they don't need to know, that sort of thing. An unpleasant job but it has to be done",

"Fine. Whatever" he hung up and I turned to leek as he handed me something

"What's this"

"Revised details of the new recruit, sir. Seem that the new man is not actually a man"

"Hmm. Her qualifications seem Impressive enough, anyway"

Nicks P.O.V.

Cole and I arrived at the ARC gone 9:00 and when we walked into the ops room I said

"Morning" Lester responded

"You're both late" Cole then said

"Then fire us"

"We can all dream. Well now you're finally here, perhaps we can get going" Cole and I stood with the rest of the team talking about a anomaly detector until Lester said

"I'd like you all to meet your new colleague. This is Jennifer Lewis" I turned and my heart stopped. I then said

"Claudia Brown"

"Jenny. Nice to meet you"


	21. Not going to finish this

I'm not going to finish this book, instead I'm going to go to wrote season 3.

Im not finishing it because season 2 isn't the best and it doesn't grab my attention.

sorry


End file.
